OFFICE 

### OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN

**-u, C.**  **MANY**

**- .01-**  **Hoc.** T.K. i;fUlnwu

CO'wltyiautitor ni1x 

## county Elllaboro, TexasROA. T.K. WluEixmrm, page 2

We are unable to find any authority eagwerlug oomlsslouerst oourt to lease or rent road maohinery and equlpnient,with the option to purchase.

Article l659, Bavlaed Civil Statute8, p8rtlnent hereto, reads as rolhtsr 1925, aa

*Supplies of every Idnd, **road and**  bridge material or any other naterial, for the use of craidoounty or any of 

## it8 ofrloers, departaenta, or institutions 

## pustbe wrohased 011oomoetltlve b&& the coatraot to be auarded to the party who, IA the jUgment of the conusissloner8~ oourt, haa submitted the lmwt 

### .andbest bid.' ~OorlIq oura). Oladez%

This statute mnlfoat8 a olear lo&lative intent to df+are a publio polioy neoesslfiatlng oompetltlve bl& upon all matters or expaudltures and upa~ all purchase 

### oontraots by the eou&y. See the oase Oi UTATT UEUL & BOILER WORKS f. **FARSIR** COUETY, Ill 8.91. (24) 187. HO oogulzanoe is taken in suoh etatut 0r a method whereby the oerraissloners*uourt oould lease or rent raohlneryana equlpnMtn1th thq optlon to purchane;other- *lee, lt 1s suimltted, ompetltive bida would llkewiae have barn required In meh oaoo oond8tent wltL the publio polloy requl.rfn(g oompetltlve biti In all trianmaotlcaun lnvolv mlasloA~ro' 002 the expenditures 

### or mney by the aom-



### . omOwyl theter0333, if it 

### be ha that the immnlssiof~e~~ oourt oan lease or 

## rentmaohlacry and equipment, rather than 

### purchase same aa 

### oontem**plated** by the statute amethodwouldbeoreatsdwhemby, whether honestly or o~hsr*lse, the requiremant o? aempetltlve bl&s ooilldbe evaded. To prevent thl8, the tarorinologyof ~~%iole lW&, supra, aa r,uotad, Would have to be oonstrued as lnoludlnngcontraots, also, of lease and rental. It is believed that the langpage will not ad&t of such oon~truotlon. Aa aaid by t&s oourt IA tho 0a5e of wm BImmzC 60. 

### V’rNtmiS CW!m, 297 8.8. 747, (reversed on other grcuc~ba, 11S.L (2d) 305), at P. 7338

lized ."fhe

whole 8p%rlt,of the tiraea,orystalIA the statute8 and favored ln tha Qeciaio~ ormatruing those atatutas, Itato require publlo-.,--

Bon. TdC. Wilkinson, pa@ 3



### authorities

**q?OWered to**  **expand** pub110 funds to 

### award contraotsfor aaoh e~ndlturea only a?ter notioeand upon eanpetitiveb%ds. It would bo l 

### ubverslveof that apirlt,aad in oontravention of 

### thoseatstutarso oonstrned to 

### glra offeat 

### to the subterfuge

resortedtc ia this tranaaotion for the purpose of evadixu$ the law, aad this courtdeclineato lead lta aid to that ptWpcao."

we, thererora, raapeotfully drlao 

### that 1t Is 

### the opinionof this depertsmntthat your first quostlca shouldbe aakweredin the negative;namely, **that** 

### the caamissloners*court oennot leaaa or rent, 

### with tbe option to purcl&ase,**mid** 

### maohiae~, plakups or trusks, wax%- 

### housesfor the storageoi 

### equlpmont.The 

### questlaa of aUvertisl.ng

for bids, in suoh aaae; thenpat beocma8 

### lInlmterial.
You elao ask 

### this furtherqu~stlonr

wan the oomnissionerat oourt 

### deolue an e0ergetiq and 

### purahaes

### mqulpukt in l

### xaess of 

## 41so.O0?"
Se reapeotrully adrloe that it la our opinlan, under the alecu 

## tsrma

of 

### Art101816~9.,awi88a Clrll 

### Statnte8, lScb, 

### the ocmmissloner81 oourt oannot, by ae0iahg an eaewen

## oy, prohaae 

## l

qulpmnt in 

### exoaaa of 4150.00 dthaut 

## aavert?alngror eoscpetltlve bids.

we trustthis enmters 

### your InquiriessatlsiaotcrI4.
Yours very trIl1y

ATTORNEY GENSRAI,0::' Ttias 

### APPROVED OPlNlON 

# 0

**cOMMWI-EC** 

### 4&f@