OFFICEOFTHEATTORNEYGENERALOFTEXAS
AUSTIN

May 1, 1939

Ur. L I..Shelton county AudItor Johnac~on

Comty Cleburne, ~OXAS
Dear Slrr

8 appronl or

n on the f01lorlng

r riolato a

th road aaeat or thy ooart? in (ping ti.3

end

"The aountie~ or the stak are hwebp de&rwed to have the authority to employ, or ptirA1t

to be hAfiOyOd, SJly r0ea oon8truotion or other meohinery or road equlpunsnt in the eerrlco of aoil cwumrrcrtion and grewontion or soil waste througherosion, whemrexMr. E. L. Sheltoc, Xag I, 1939, FaRe 2

In the judment of the county commissioners court, entered upon the minutes of the court, such machinery or equipment is not demanded for the service of building and the up-keep of t3e roads of the county; and shall provide for compensation to the county road fund, or the road fund of any defined distriot or aut?;orlzed

subdivision in the county, For such employment of road equipment." 3eotlon

### 4'0r the same ertiole reads es 

### roll-2

“ 15 the public ecmloe oi ooaservlng the soil rertllity

### or the 

### ua or the eou~ty, the oommissioners* court shall hate the authorityto ooo#eratawith the landowners 

### andtaxpayersor the 

### 00untJln all judloicua orforts ror the preserratlon or the proauotivenees ot the sot1 l"rom avoidable

waste, and 108s 

### or pro&u@Areaesa 

### or agriculturalcrops neoesaary to the pub110 umlfare, throughpermlesfon to ~110

the maohbmry and equIptentthat may be made eva~lablebf the ccuaty ior suah purpcoeu. tier written aontraat,and the aoumtf~shall reaeive from mah lazidouners and 'taxpayers mmpenaaticn, upon **such unlfom**  **baais** a8 **my** be doged wultable, and proper, ror the occpera**tion** ertende4and serv%eerrerwleml,all auoh atmperuatfon

or runa to the aountp to **be** p&d iato the R&d and BriQgeFund Of the 

### 00t~~ty; ana the aotmty comml~ricnera: court may protide r0r payrmente from landownersand taxpwers 

### or the county atsuah stated intervalsaud in suoh smount8,as ana when the **bounty** tams are solleotea,as nap be w&p:-$abU,, ?or the use 

### or the equipmentror the protdation

### or land8. against ocntlneinglmaeasweable~injurythrough no11 eroelon~

### priada timt the oemmlssioner,rsl aourt or repreaentatite thereor shall not go upon the land 

### or any owner to improve,temaoe, protect, or dltah such land until requested to

# $43 m?g

.. -i.

Mr. E. L. Shelton, b!ag1, 1639, Page 9

do so in wrltlng by such owner; and provfied further, that the aoabalssioners~ oourt or representative

thcreot shall not be required to do such improvin& terraoing, protecting and dltchln~ unless.suchcourt shall determine that such work ia of so- public benefit and said court cleats todo the wmk." Seotlon 3 ana Sootion 4 or hrtlole 237a0, Just quc&ld, olear4 sets forth the manner in which, and the olroumatenoes

aad conditions

under whioh the paohlnery **bdlm&ng** to a aountyof this atate may be used 'for the $urpcseof preservingthe preduetireness la agricultural prcbcts necessaryto the publiowelfare. Ecwever,we know or no law,whfeh rould make a comlssioner rho permits thecaaehineryoftheoountyto beuseddthoutmeetlag the requlrwti as set forth in Beations 3 ana 4 of Art1018 23720, subjeot to pro8eentlcmfcm a penal ofiense.

We know 

### or a0 authority**for** a ccmlasloner te make spsolal aontraot**work** with the'roadmachineryeS the countyrlthout the eonsentof the aebrt. FIoweveri it Is .-our opinion,t&et by so dolug t&e aoamlssloner.iloes not violate any penal s$atutaof this atate. r.nterestlng questlona lnvolr~ngthe ic(lerpretation and entbroeaant of eontra&s would natural4 arise as a result of a omtidonsr aotlngdtbout authorityin entsrlnginto aa -agreement

with an lndlvldualor lnditlauals, tc use countyroad saohlneryin doing work ror said lnalrl6ual or ladlvlduals,

but such questionsdo not arlse'lnyour request ror an oplnlon in thlq instance.

In view Cf.the provlslonsof ArtZele SS7i3? of the Revised Civil Statutesof the.stateof Texas, ft i8 our opfntnion

thst a 00&8810ner does not vlolstea penal statute of this state la uslag a pick-upbought an&paid ror out Or oountyfunds ln the admlnlstrbtlon or his businessas ocmelssloner and in going to and from court meetlnp3.Mr. 2. L. Zhslton, Jay 1, 1939, Page 4

Article 23721 of Vernon's Eevised Clvil~L;tatutes of the state of Texss, reads in part as follower

"The comnlssloners* court 18 hereby authorized to allow each comuilasioner to purchase a plckyap truok to be used in e*cb respective precinot on official business and it shall be paid for out of the~Road and Bridge Fund of the respeatlre oomlesionera* preclnctd, **and** seoh oommisaioner shall make under oath an aotwunt of his expandlttmea for auah purpose.* Truattingthat the foregoing answers your inwirya am remain

-- ATTORNEY

GENERA **OF -**