OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS 

AUSTIN 

-u, C. MANY 

- .01- 

Hoc. T.K. i;fUlnwu 

CO'wlty iautitor 

ni1x county 

Elllaboro, Texas 
ROA. 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 

craid oounty or any of it8 ofrloers, departaenta, 

or institutions pust be wrohased 011 oomoetltlve 

b&& the coatraot to be auarded to the party 

who, IA the jUgment of the conusissloner8~ oourt, 

haa submitted the lmwt .and best 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' 00 2 

the expenditures or mney by the aom- 

. omOwyl theter0333, if it be ha 

that the immnlssiof~e~~ oourt oan lease or rent maohlacry and equipment, rather than purchase same aa oontemplated by the statute amethodwouldbeoreatsdwhemby, 

whether honestly or o~hsr*lse, the requiremant o? aempetltlve bl&s ooilld be evaded. To prevent thl8, the 

tarorinology of ~~%iole lW&, supra, aa r,uotad, Would 

have to be oonstrued as lnoludlnng contraots, 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’r NtmiS 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, Ita to require publlo 
-.,-- 

Bon. TdC. Wilkinson, pa@ 3 

authorities q?OWered to expand pub110 funds to 

award contraots for aaoh e~ndlturea only a?ter 

notioe and upon eanpetitive b%ds. It would bo 

l ubverslve of that apirlt, aad in oontravention 

of those atstutar so oonstrned to glra offeat 

to the subterfuge resorted tc ia this tranaaotion for the purpose of evadixu$ the law, aad 

this court declinea to lead lta aid to that ptWpcao." 

we, thererora, raapeotfully drlao that 1t Is 

the opinion of this depertsmnt that your first quostlca 

should be aakwered in the negative; namely, that the caamissloners* court oennot leaaa or rent, with tbe option 

to purcl&ase, mid maohiae~, plakups or trusks, wax%- 

houses for the storage oi equlpmont. The questlaa of 

aUvertisl.ng for bids, in suoh aaae; thenpat beocma8 

lInlmterial. 

You elao ask this further qu~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 Art1018 16~9., awi88a Clrll Statnte8, lScb, 

the ocmmissloner81 oourt oannot, by ae0iahg an eaeweno y, prohaae l qulpmnt in exoaaa of 4150.00 dthaut aavert?alng ror eoscpetltlve bids. 

we trust this enmters your Inquiries satlsiaotcrI4. 

Yours very trIl1y 

ATTORNEY GENSRAI, 0::' Ttias 

APPROVED 

OPlNlON 0 cOMMWI-EC 

4&f@