HonorabiaCharlesR. Martin CountyAuditor E&rrisoncanty Marshall,Texas I
Dsar Sir: OPinion No. o-4116 Ril Logalltyof the Ear&son County Cmmissioners'Court oamtraoting with the City-ofWar&all to fur- ruishfire-fightingfacilitiesto cer+%in~definedfire districts only, outsidethe civ limitabut wit&in an eight-mileradius of the aity'a aenter,to the excluizion of the remainderof the oounty; and O. relatedquestion.
Your letterrequestingthe opinionof this departmenton the quo+ tions statedthereinreads ia pwt as fallowrr
"The City of Marshallhas made a proposal'tothe Cemissionec8'Cauz$ of HarrisonCounty to enter into an agreemexrt~tith the City of Hnrshall, vdzersbgthe Countyno~Q$'bsTequfredto first organiz#,flre distriotoin .,tbioklypopulitedoutQ$ag settlommts Ilthin L radiusof eight (8) tiles frmthe centerof the City of Marshall,Pnd in said agreementthe Countywould be requiredto pay a stipul&ed sum to the City of Marshall ror each run mad&by the City Fire Da$arta~ntto the designatedfire dis- trict (therebyexoludingall other se&ions of the County),and under said contractor agreementthe Coun@ in turn would be requiredto make a aontraotwith the individualpropertyownerswithin the designatedfire distriot. That the propew owrs would be requiredto ppy the ooun*, or ratherreimbursethe County,for eachnm made *the City Fire Depart- ment for a stipulatedSIIBI chargedthe countgIy tie City.
"QuestionNo. One: Hould the Commissioners * court of Halvisoncountgbe. authorizedunder the law to enter Into a contracttith the City of Marshall to providefor fire fightingfacilitiesfor oertaindefinedfire districts outsidethe city limits,but within the county and within a radius of eight (8) miles from the center of the Citg of Marshall,and at the same time . excludeall other sectionsof the oountg? Hon. CharlesR. *tin, page 2 (O-4116)
*QuestionNo. Twoa Would the Commissioner8* Court of EarrisonCounty be .' authorizedunder the law to enter into above contraotwith privateproperty ownersin certaindesignatedareas outlyingthe city limits of bkrshall, Texas,and lyingwithin the county and within a radiusof eight miles from the centerof the City of Marshall,therebyaxoludingall othersactions of the county,whereby for a oertainstipulatedsum to bs pid toths aountyby certainpr0pm-Q ownersin the firo district,the countywould, in turn, furnishto the propee owners in said fire distriat,fire fightingfacili- ties under the above describedcontractwith the City of Marshall,and therebyexoludingall other motions of the County?"
House Bill Noo.262, dots of the 47th Legislature,RegularSession, (Article2351a-1,%ernon'sAnnotatedCivil Statutes)providesin part: " . The Commissioners* Court of any countyof this State shall aisc have tlk*authority to enter into oontractswith any city,town, or villagewithin the countyand/oradjoiningaounties,upon such terms and conditionsas shall be agreedupon betweenthe Commissioners ' Court and the governingbody of snob city, town, or village,for the use ofthe fire truoksand other fire fight- ing squipnentof the city,town, or village . e ."
Generallyspeaking,the authorityof the oonrmissionars' court as the governingbody to make oontratcts in its behalf is strictlylimitedto that conferredeitherexpresslyor by fair or necessaryimplicationby the Constitu- tion and law8 of the St+. (TarrantCountyvs. Rogers,125 S.W. 592; Baldwin VS. Travis county, 00 S.H. 480). The authorityto aontraoton behalf of the count is vested in the'comnissioners' oourt in absenceof a statuteauthoxiz- ing some other agency to contraot3and if an agreementis not made throughor sanotionedby suoh agency,it binds neitherthe countynor the individual. (Sparksvs. KaufmanQunQ, 194 S.W. 605; AmarioanDisinfectingCo. vs. Free- &one County,193 S.W. 440: Texas Juriaprodancd, Vol. 11, pe 630). The conmissioners' court must havu