LowerColoradoRiverAuthorit 'Littlei leldBnllding Austln,Texae
Gent1alwl: Attention: Mr. Gideon,General Counsel.
OpinionBo.'O-3301 Re: Power of the City of I&no to oharge the Authorityrental on its poles used In -iah- lilgelectric1Qhte.
We have carefullyconsideredthe validityof the ordinancepassed by the City of Llano on December 9, 1940,which requiresthe Lower Colorado River Authorityto pay rentalon the poles which it uses In the City of Llano in the distributionof electriccurrent.
In the letterwrittenby Mr. Gideon,your generalcounsel,you havs requestedour opinionaa tc whether this ordinanceIs enforcible against the Authority.
The Act of the Legislaturecreatingthe Lower ColoradoRiver Authority,being Ch. 7 of the Acts of the 43rdLeglslattie,4th Called Session,p. 19, containsthe followingsalientcondition. It ia made~a govarmaental agencyunder the provisionsof Sec. 59, ArticleXVI:'ofthe state Constitution.
The last sentencein Sec. lof said Act reads:
"HothingIn this Act or in any other sot or law contained, however,shall be conetzuedas authorizingthe Districtto levy or collecttaxes or assessmenta,or ta create any indebtedmae payableout of taxes or assessments,or In any way to pledge the oreditof the State."
Section2 of aaM Act reads:
"Exceptas expresslylimitedby this Act, the Dietrlct shall have and is hereby authorizedto exerciseall paver, rl&t, privilegesand functionsconferredby general law upon any dietriotor dietriotscreatedpursuantto Section 59 of ArticleXVI of the Constitutionof the State of Texas, * + * and it is authorizedto exemlse the followingpowere,rights, privilegesand functions: . -
Lower ColoradoRiver Authority- page 2 (o-3301)
"(a). To developand generatewater power and electric energywithin the boundairesof the Dietriotand to dietribute and sell water power and electricenergy,within or without the boundariesof the Die@ict.;
"(I). To conetzuct,extend, improve,maintainand reoon- struct,to cause to be conatzucted,extended,improved,maln- tainedand reconstructed, and to ume and operate,any and all facllltieaof any kind neceeearyor convenientto the exeroiee of such powers,righta,privilegeeaad functiona."
Your letterstated that:
"The Lower ColoradoRiver Authority- and operates within the City of Llano electriclight poles which are situatedin the streetsand alleys of eaid city, and, there- fore, oomee within the provisionsof Section 1 of said or- ",~dillame."
The city ordinancereferredto, a copy of which you enclosed, requlreeeach organizationor corporationmaintainingany telegraph,tele- phone, electrlelight or other poles in the City of Llano to pay said city annuallyfor such privilegea rental equal to three per cent of its gross receipts,
The real question,therefore,for detexminatlonis whether the City of Llanc ten charge the State of Texas a rental for the use of the streetsand alleyswhich are being used by eaid governmentalagency to distributeelectriccurrenttc the inhabitantsof said city,
In our Opinionlo. O-2037>dated March 28, 1940, addressedti Mr. Sheppard,Comptrollerof 'PublicAccounts,we held that the propertyof the Lower ColoradoRiver Authoritywas exempt from taxation,by reason of lte being a governmentalagency. We encloseyou a copy of said opinion.
In Robbinev. LimestoneCounty, 114 Tex. 265,268 S.W. 915, the SupremeCourt of Texas, in an exhaustiveopinion,held that all public roads in the State of Texae belange&to the sovereim state, and that the State had full controland authorityover same.
In 44 C. J., 925, in discussingthe power of cities to control the streete,the rule is thus stated:
"(3677) within federalend state constitutionallimitations, the Legislaturea8 representative of the state has power to OOnt.rOl and regulatestreetsin any way not