Court Opinion

ID: 9827309
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 17:24:06.97238+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:42:29.014444
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
Counsel for appellee earnestly insist that we are in error in holding ourselves disqualified to consider this appeal on the merits because we are in error in holding: (1) That the ordinance submitting the bond issue was enacted by virtue of the initiative and referendum provision of the city charter; (2) that the “proposition” submitted to the electors to vote the bonds was, in fact, an ordinance; and (3) erred, as a matter of law, in holding that any judgment we might enter on the merits of this appeal 'would produce or prevent the issuance of the bonds.
. [2] The facts contained in the record, because agreed to, were stated by us in a general way, because we presumed no issue would arise in that respect, but, in order to make clear our conclusions of law, we will discuss seriatum the successive steps shown by litigation. On February 20, 1912, certain .electors of the city of Dallas, “constituting in number more than five per cent, of the entire vote cast for all candidates for mayor at the last preceding election,” requested appellants to submit to the legal voters of said city at the general election to he held in April, 1912, the following ordinance:
“An ordinance requiring the securing of estimates on installing a municipal electric light and power plant, and the submission of a proposition based on said estimates at a regular election.
“Be it ordained by the board of commissioners of the city of Dallas, and by the people of Dallas, acting under the initiative provisions of the charter:
“(a) That a committee consisting of the street, water and finance commissioners, is hereby instructed to have estimates made and submitted to the board of commissioners within 90 days, for installing a municipal electric light and power plant in connection with the water department, and,
“(b) That no further contracts for the public electric lighting of the streets be made by the city before a proposition for the establishment of said municipal plant, based on these estimates, is voted on by the citizens at a regular election.”
There are but two methods provided by the Dallas charter by which ordinances may be enacted: By the board of commissioners, and by the electors, as authorized by the provisions of the initiative and referendum provisions of the charter (article 2, § 2; article 3, § 11; article 8). Here we call attention first to the enacting clause of said ordinance which recites that it is ordained “under the initiative provisions of the charter,” and second to the statement already quoted from the agreed statement of facts, describing those presenting the ordinance as “constituting in number more than five per cent, of the entire vote cast for all candidates for mayor at the last preceding election,” which is all but a litéral reproduction of the language contained in the initiative provision of the charter providing how such ordinances may be originated. Thus it will be seen that the ordinance quoted was at least enacted under the initiative and referendum provisions of the charter. Proceeding, then, with the record, it appears that appellants did submit said ordinance to the electors at a general election on April 2,1912, and after canvassing the votes appellants declared said ordinance “duly enacted.” After-wards, acting pursuant to the powers conferred by the ordinance so adopted, the board of commissioners, acting through two of its members, estimated the cost of installing said municipal lighting and power plant, which estimate was adopted by the board. Thereupon appellants submitted to the electors for their adoption or rejection at the general election of April, 1913, arid after making said estimate, the following ordinance:
“For the proposition of the issuance of $400,-000 in bonds of. the city of Dallas, for the purpose of procuring money for the following permanent public improvements, to wit: For the purpose of constructing and establishing a municipal electric lighting plant to furnish the public lighting of the streets, parks, grounds and municipal-buildings of the city of Dallas.”
*311We hold this last ordinance to he an inherent and necessary part of the ordinance submitted to the electorate, and to have been contemplated by said ordinance. The preamble of the initiative or first ordinance recites its purpose to be to secure an estimate of the cost of installing a municipal light and power plant and the submission of a proposition based on such estimate at a regular election. Further, the concluding clause thereof makes the intention yet clearer in directing that no further contracts for public lighting be made by the city until a proposition to establish a lighting plant based upon the estimates to be prepared by authority of the first ordinance is voted upon at a regular election. The necessity for deferring an election on the bond issue contemplated by the initiative ordinance is found in the fact that by the Dallas charter bonds may in no event be issued by its commissioners until authorized by vote of the electorate. Article 2, § 5. Recognizing that rule, the appellants made no attempt to submit the bond issue contemplated thereby until the attitude of the electorate toward the ordinance as a whole was disclosed ; since the issuance of bonds with which to construct the proposed plant depended upon the adoption of the ordinance authorizing both. At the first regular election arter the adoption of the ordinance, being the only election at which bond issues may be approved or rejected, the next successive step under the ordinance was taken, that of submitting to the electorate the bond issue contemplated thereby. Until the electorate had voted upon the issuance of the bonds made necessary by the provision in the charter requiring ¿11 bonds to be so voted upon the ordinance was incomplete and unfinished, since by its exact provisions a subsequent election upon a bond issue to perfect and complete its purpose was contemplated.
[3] Beyond and beside what we have just said, and conceding that the ordinance last submitted to the voters was independent of, and not contemplated by, the initiative ordinance, the result in the last analysis will surely be the same. The Dallas charter provides that every proposition to issue bonds, however originated; shall be submitted to the property taxpayers of the city, by ordinance prescribing the time, manner, and place of election for that purpose. Dallas Charter, art. 2, § 5. Such an ordinance was prepared and submitted to the voters, which contained the provision that the bonds, if voted, would be used to procure the money necessary to establish the lighting plant authorized by the first ordinance. This last ordinance, on the face of the returns of the election, was adopted. By judgment of the district court it is decreed, as matter of fact, that it was not. Thus whether the bonds shall be issued or not ultimately depends upon the result of the election contest, and as a consequence any judgment entered in this appeal by us will produce or prevent the issuance of the bonds. While appellants, as the duly constituted officials of the city have the right to propose bond issues to the electorate, and may exercise their discretion in that respect, it is equally clear that, alter a majority of the property taxpayers have voted the bonds, their duties become purely ministerial, and are confined to the preparation and negotiation thereof, as prescribed by the further provisions of the charter.
Deeming our original conclusions correct, it becomes our duty to overrule the motion for a rehearing.