OFFICEOFTHEA'TTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN
Honorable Brady Oentry, Chal&n Texas Highway Co~~~~lsalon Austin, Texas Dear Sir:
a.part 0r zhezsyhteh &xlooneidihtion or
Caii@lreloner*eCourt, aotlng elthor f or a dtiflnedroad dietriat, authorlead o odntraot with the State Highway Coma&s- faion,whereby it agrees to relinquish and nrqive any iand all rights, pramit or rutrue, tbat'it or the road diatriot has or may rave to hate auOhbonded 'indebtednessbeooma eligible ior partioipatlonin ,the County and Road Diafriot Highway Fund, in mnslder- ation of the direot benefits @Wing to the Conntr or road dlstriot by reason of the dleignatitin&xl maintermnoe of the road bjrthe State Highway CommtaeiOn?S Honorable Brady Gentry, Chairman Page 2
Articles 6674q-l-6674q-14of Vernon*6 Annotated OiYil Statute6 are generallyknown a8 the Road Bond AsswnptionLaw. As you are aware;the law provides for the establishmentand malntenanoe of a County and Road Dlsfriot Highway Fund to be administeredby the Board of County and Road District Indebtednesstherein provided. The purpose of this fund is to servioe and retire road Indebtednessof oountlesand road dlatrlote eligible under the terms of the act. Section (a) of Artiole 0674qc7 provides in part: .. -In addition to and regardlessof the other pro- ~lsiods of this AOt all bonds, warrants or other legal evidences or kdebtedness vote8 or Issued dthout being voted by a oounty, road'dlatriotor d@'ined.roaadlstrlot prior to January 8, 1999~,In 80 far ae amounts of same were or may'be iskued and the prooeede aotually,mended fn the oonatxuouo$~n or ioada whioh are aar.a t .,of the '.des~
It is elamoatarythat ootantyo~eeiwrew* courts, road dlstriOt, and.all other polltloal aubdwfsioafa Of the Stat6 are dependant entirely upon the 1egielatiVe word fn regard to %helr authority to maKe'~oontraots.shoe -the Leg%s~attarehas pla&nly apokea to the oontxax+the~ can be no doubt that wither the S&way Departmeat,the Board oi County ana Road Distrlot fndebtedness,a oommls(lioners* .court,nor s road dlbtrio+ may bF ,oontraotor othenieo waive the right or eligible indebtednessto partloipate Hoao~able Brady Gentry, Chairman Page 8
in th&Gounty and Road DistrlcitHighway Fund. To hold that &oh authority existed, would be tantamount to per- mlttlpg by o-ontraot a ohange In the expressed latent of the Legislature. Eaoh of your questions is aooordingly answered in the ~tiegativa. Very truly your5, ATTOENZY GEHEEIALOFTEXAS
.BY /a/ .James D. Smullen Assistant
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APPRWlCDOPl3lIOlfC~ BY BWB OHAIRUW