Honorable J. Collier Adeee, Jr. opinion

### NO. JN-1248

co&ran county Attorney 109 **Woet** Weehington M: Validity **of** a bid eoWorton, 

### Texae 19346 licitationWhich **doee** not ccmplywith the publiehing requirement8 **of** section 262.025(a) of the Texas Lccal Government Code **(RQ-2050)**
DearHr. Adame:
You 

### askthree gueetione about the comtyRe purchaee, by meane of competitive bidding, 

### of a 

### motorgrader. First, you ask **whether** the eolicitation **of** bide **for** the grader was valid.
You tell ue that the eolicitationwae publiehed twice in a local neWspaper, on 

### Decbber 21, 1989, and on January **4,** 1990. 

### We **understand that**  

### the’newepaper wae not published during the intemening **Christmas** 

### week in 1989 

### andthat the bide Were opened on Jenuary 19, 1990. Subchapter C of 

### Chapter **262 of**  the Local Gwernment Code reguiree that county **purchaeee** 

### ofmore than $10,000 **be made**  **by** competitive bidding, and eection 262.025(a)

### requires the solicitation of bide, as follows:

be & at w a u+ctk

**A of**  

### a **propoeed pur?r**  

### nrw;t
paper **of** general circulation in the county, with the g

**a** 

### the **14th** 

### dav **&&r,# the**  date of the **bid.** If **there** ie **no notepaper**  of 

### generalcirculation in the county, the notice muet be pceted in a proainurf place in the courthoueo **for** 14 **day8** before the date of the bid opening.
Gw't Code S 262.025(a) (ouremphasis). This statute has not been previously 

### eubjctctad to published legal analysis. In conetruing the publication

p. 6646Honorable J. Collier Adam, Jr. - **Page** 2 (J&1248) :

.

requirements, 

### ve are l

### eeieted

byconmidering

the .í l ubee&ion as a whole. The l ubeection defines two alternative methode **for** giving notice **of the**  propoSed contract, publication, **and** posting. In those caseswhere there is no Wevepaper of 

### general circulation,vl the courthouee posting alternative reguiree posting 

### forthe 14 day period imvediately

### preceding **the** opening **of the**  bida. An 

### l guivalentnotice is achieved through publication 

### vhere the initial publication is made once l ech week **for the**  tvo veeka 

### procodingthe bid opening. Read litarally, **the** l **tetute** reguiree a publication once each ve& **from** the firetpublication until the opening **of** the * **We** helieve that the legislaturehere 

### intended to require that notice of the contract be publimhed in a nevepaper, as itvould be posted in the courthouse, once a week 

### for at least the tvo coneecutive veeka prior **to** the opening. immediately **Purther,** if the original publication occurs **on** a

### more remote date than the 15th day **before the**  date 

### of the bid opening, 

### therevi11 be additionalveeke of publication.2 **I**

In the circumetanceeyou 

### describe, the first publication 

### of the notiae occurred 29 **days before**  **the** opening (Dec. 21, 1989). The second

### postingoc**currod** on January 4, 1990, because 

### therevae no **paper** publiehed 

### duringthe Christmas week. Ae ve read the statute, 

### there ehould have been 

### anotherpublication in the **week** folloving the January 4, 1990, publicetion end preceding theweek 

### of the opening (on January 11, 1990, 

### forexample). 

### Therefore,ve believe that .thepublication of notice **for** this **bid does**  **not** technically fulfill the statutory 

### requiremnte.
You next **ask** about the validity 

### of the restrictive epecification, Wide 

### onTotal Coot Only,*which you indicate is intended to eneure amaximum amount to be spent 

### on parts

1. 

### Youneither**ask** about nor supply 

### information relative to the guution **of vhethu**  **the nevepepu**  is one of general oirculaticnr thue ve **do** not **eddreee that**  issue but **assume**

### thatthe newmpapernats therequiraent. w m v. St,&& 143 **S.W.26 629,**  **633 (Tex.**  Civ. 

### App. - Dallas 1940,vrit dia'd, judgm't 

### car.). 2. The statute raguireepublication "at least **once** a **veek,.** unlike similar l tatutee that limit the publication 

### requirement to **.once** 

### a **vsek for**  tvo coneeeutivm weeks.* sr r. l.~r,Local Gw't Code Is 271.055(b)(l) (public vorke contracts paid out **of** oe*ificatee 

### of obligation); 252.041(a) (municipalcontracta).

p. 6649Honorable J. Colliu Adaee, Jr. - Page 3 (JM-1246)

end a guaranteed 

### r8purchaer **pricm** 

### for thm oquipmont. Aa 

### notedin **your** 

### brief,this officehas previouely approved the use 

### of total cost bidding epecificatione. Attorney General Opinion C-768 (1966). In that opinion, this office con

### sidered,ashere,a county's epecificetion

### of a **guaranteed** rapurchaeeprice 

### andmaximum partsreplaaonnt ooet in its call **for** 

### bidm **on road**  nohinuy. That opinion concluded 

### thatthe definition 

### of purchasing epecificatione vae a matter **for the**  

### comieeionere oourt. At 

### the time that opinion vae ieeued, there vere no state statutes gwerning a county*8 sale 

### ofpereonal **property.** Thue,Attorney Genmral Opinion C-788 

### coneideredthe **repurchuo,** 

### or **sale,** of **the** 

### motorgredu ably ae it related to the l pecificatione **for** tbe county*8 original pumhaee and **not** as **the** uparate sales traneaction tbat it really is. subeeguent to the issuance of C-786, the legislature statutorily limited the means by vhich counties cae diepoee of pereonal **property.**
In 1981, the legislature adopted a l tatut8, **found** at eection 263.151,m, -1 governeent cozy governing counties' sales 

### ofpereonal **proparty. Act8**  **1981,** 67th L8g., ch. 647. **At** the time that statute **vae enacted,**  

### the legislature 

### rewqnired that countiu lct pureuant to legal authorization. **We** quote **from** the bill analysis:

Countiee are edeinietrativearee 

### of the State, and as such, have no ieplied **pwere.** The Legislature grante euch authority as it eeee fit, and this **must** be literally **inter** preted. **A** 

### checkof the **statutes** 

### reveald **no re**  **feruhoe to**  the eale 

### of ealvage [or] **property** 

### deewd surplus 

### orunfit **for** 

### a county~e need. **Hovever,** ocuntiu already generally follov **the proceduru**  outlinedbelov 

### forthe diepo8al **of** surplus **or** unueable

### properties. Bill Analysis, H.B. 2176-2, 67th Leg. (19111);M ~g~eaA.r **on** H.B. 2176-2 **before tha**  **House Cop.**  on

. 67th Leg. (Nay 6, 

### 1981) (tape **on** file vitb House

## Tochni& Servioee).

Section 263.151(2) of 

### the code defina meurplue property* as follove:

(2) %urplue **property~** eeane personal **prcperty** that:

**(A)** is net ealvage **property** 

### or iteee routinely discardad asvaete: .

.

p. 6650Honorable J. CollierA, Jr. - page h (JM-12483

.

, (8) is not aurrently needed **by** its **ovner:** (C) is

## notrequired **for** the ovner*e 

### foreseeableneeder and **(0) poeeeene**  **eoae ueefulmee**  **for** the purpwe **for** vhich itvae intended. Loeel Gov't Code S 263.151(2).

**Se&ion** 263.152 **Of tb**  **COIM &finu**  **tb mOdm**  **by** ~i~l~~mmieeioner8oourtmaydiepouofpereonalproperty

: The cemmieeioner8 court **of** a countymay: (1) periodically ull the county*8 mwplue **or** ealvage **proporfy** by competitive bid or auction; **(2) offer**  the **property** es a trade-in for 

### nev **property of**  

### the 8amegeneral type if the commieeionere 

### courtconsiders tht action to be in the beet interuta of the county8 or . **(3) order**  **any of**  **the proputy**  **to be**  **du** troyed or otheruiu diepoud **of as**  worthless if the commieeionere CouLt undertaJce8 to ull that **property under**  Subdivieion (1)and is unable to **do** 80 because **no** bide are **made.** Local Gov*t Code 5 263.152.
We do **not** believe that the legislature intended to allow 

### the**guaranteed** 

### repurchase that is 

### preeented **by** 

### your queeticne. Such a repurchase is **not** a 

### l trade-ina u that term18 generellyunderstood. In a trade-in, a county sells **one** 

### piece**of property**  **and** eimulteneouely acquires 

### another. In total coet, the county acquiresproperty and 

### contrect.8 

### to sell that ume pieae of property at wme later time. While 

### thetransfer of **property vould**  **bo** 

### l ccompliehed **by means**  **of** oompetitive bidding, 

### thabid was let relative to the original **purohaee of**  **the machine,**  **and** 

### no bidvae let relative to the sale **of** themachine, as allowed by section 263.152 **of** the Local Government Code. While **chapter** 

### 262 requiru competitive bidding **for** certain purchases end chapter 263 allowe it **as** an option **for** the sale of county personal property,ve 

### donot believe that the oompotitive bidding reguiremen 

### tm for 

### thm two diffrrent I

p. 6651

### Honorable J. CollierAdam, **Jr. -**  **Page 5**  UI4-1246)



### tramactiona ten be met through a single competitive bid. **After all,**  vhen 

### thebid vu nde and **accepted for**  

### the oounty*e purchaseofthemachine,thecounty did not ovn tbe machine and wuld not eel1 it. **Yw third**  **que8tion** asks **whether the**  **to** uction **263.151 of**  **the** Local Governmen not 

### anever that queeticn 

### anmteredit abwe. eeperetely i~emueh **as** ve have 

### Nor do ve **address** 

### the issue **of** the validity **of the**  **contract** a8 **a whole.** 

Section 262.025 of the Lccel Goverrment Code, in cefiain inetencee,requirespuhlioation **of** notice **of a**  **proposed purchame**  **once** 

### awhveakuntil theopening **of** bide, viththe first publication to occur no later then the 15thdaybeforethe data ofthabid opmning. While a conieeionere courthas the authority to determine epecificatione 

### for iteme **to** be purchased or 

### sold bythe county under competitive bide, theymay not combine the tvo 

### transactionsin a eincle bid.



### JIM HATTOX **Attonmy** 

### GeneralofTexas
**NARYXBLINR** Firet keietent **Attorney** Genus1
ImJ NC-Y Executive Aeeietant **Attorney** General
JUDGB 

### BDILIB STBAXLBY SpOial 

### Aseiet8nt **Attorney** 

### tieral
**BBNBANICXB** special Aeeietent **Attorney** Generel
RICXGIIZIH Chairman, Opinion Committee **Prepared by**  

### Xaren**C.** Gladney Aeeietent **Attorney Genual** 

**p.** 

### 6652