Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1945 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Hon. W. J. lkConnel1, PreaGdent
Htwth Texas State Teachers College
Denton, Texas
Ds#lrsirs opinion no. O-6932
TNa is In
of lOovember9, 1945 w
State of Texa
relative to t
Nw-mal Colleg
Teacherr Colle
2
opkaiom IS Feepectfully re-
0 tbs follovlag questioner
8 the city or Denton leg8lly
for the use of said school an
of pure artesian vat-ortree of
cost to the State for all purposee of said
school?
"2. May North Texas State Teacher8
College leg*lly tompeneate the City of Danton
for vster used by the inetitutlonP
"3. Hap lorth Texa8 State Teachers
College legally compensate the City ot Denton
for water supplied to an extra-mural or akulllary
Hon. W. J. McConnell - Page 2
entergrise, such as a self-supporting dorml-
tory9
The Act of the Legislature authorizing the establlah-
ment of Rorth Texea State Rormal College 18 found in @enera
Laws of Texas, Acts 26th Legislature, Regular Session, 1899,
page 7%. and read8 in part as fallove:
"An Act to prorIde for the ertabll8hment,
maintenanoe and government of 4 State Aormal
School to be located at Danton, T8xa8, and be
known a8 the Xorth Texa8 State Ram1 College.
"Qectlon 1. 'Be it enacted by the Legls-
lature of the St&e of Texarr That there eball
be establiehed at the college heretofore known
as the Horth Texas State IformalCollege at
Denton, in the County otDenton,Texaa, anormal
echo01 to be known a8 the lorthTexr8 State
Nom College; provoided,that ths cltlxens end
munlalpal authorities of raid city of Denton
shall, vltNn elxty daya after thle @crttake8
effect, convey or cau88 to be conveyed to the
State of Texan, by A good and perfect title, the
buildiag8, ground8 and other property belong- to
or unsd by the eaid North Texan Normal College,
end bind the city of Denton to furnlrh for th8 use
of said school an Abundant rupply of pure arteelan
water free of coet to the St&e, for all the pur-
pore8 of arid lchool, uNoh raZd oonveyuice and
obligation shall be approved by the Oovemor
and Attorney QeneFal; provided, that 8ald college
building, when tezuleredand accepted, 8hall b8
8ufflaient to aoocmmodathat leant four hundred
puplls; end provided further, that if the donation
and proposition asntloned hsreln 18 not fully
oomplled vith by the city of Denton to the satls-
Sactlon of the Oovernor, Comptroller and Super-
intsndent of Public Instruction, then the loo&ion
of 8uch nowal college shall be open to such other
place a8 the Qovarnor, Comptroller axidSuperln-
tendent of Publla Instruation may deem most tartilr-
factory ad advantageous to the State.
". . .
"Approved March 31, 1899 - Take8 effect 90 days
after adjournment."
HOn. w. J. bk~011Ik811
- Page 3
After the above Act we48 assed by the Leglsl8ture,
the City of Denton on October 10, 1E99, by proper action of
it8 gOVOrd.?&g body, &Ba88OdA IWiSOlUtiOnMading in part as
fO11OW8Z
“URSREAS, by virtue of an Aat of the 26th
Leglelature, being Chpter 53, LAW 1899, the
StAt8 of Texer proposer to establish at the
College heretofore Lnovn as the lorth Tevs
State Xormal College, at Denton, In the County
of Denton, Tex88, a normal echo01 to be known A(I
the IiorthTerns State Rormel College; provkded
that the cltlreae and nunlclpal mthorltloo of
saleiCity of Denton ehall, wlthln elxty daye
titer the kkiag effeet of said Act, aonvey or
MWO to be conveyed to the State of Texm, by
good and porfeut title, the buildings, ground8,
and other property belmglng to or used by the
s&Id LlorthTexar 10ormalCollege, aad bind the
City of Deaton to furnish for the use of Bald
nehool an lbundnnt supply of artealan water free
of cost to the State for all the purpose8 of aald
Bchool; . . .I
Bubreqwnt thereto the Mayor of De&on, Mr. 0. P. Poe,
properly executed ma l.mtmment, parts of vhlah am quoted belov,
la keeping with instructions and authority given hir by the City
Council, in oonjunotlw vith the Act of the 26th Legislature above
m6ntloaedr
"YHEREAB,by !‘WOlUtiOA pawed by the City
Council of the City of Denton on the 10th day
of October, 1899, the Mayor of mid olty vaa
authorized and instructed for and in behalf of
aaid alty to exeoute aMi enter into an obllga-
tlcm in writing, binding tb City of Denton to
furnish rorthe we of the HOOICTHTEXASSTATE
IORMAL COLIJzogan abundant supply of pure arte-
alen vater free 0Z coat to tbs State aaaorbing
to the term of an act of the 26th teglslature
being Chapter 53, uws 1899.
Har. W. J. JkConnell - Page 4
"XOW THEREFORE I, 0. P. Poe, Mayor of
the City ofBenton by virtue of seld -8olution
end In consideration of the estAbli8kh4nt at
Denton of the RORTH TEXAS Sl'ATERORMAL COLLEC+R
se provided In 8eld act Above referred to, acting
for 8nclin behalf of 8ald City do hereby oovanent
mad agree and bind the eald City of Dentcurto
furnlrh.for the use of 4aI.dlorth Tour State
loma Sahool an abundant 4upply of purs atiealan
vcrterfree of cost to the State of Texas for all
the purposea of eald ruhool."
Ths queetlon befor u4 le whether or not thers wea
ever e logal aad bWl.lng contract ln exlstenee a8 A reoult of the
above rctr and if so, is the City of Xknton bound at tNa tW4
to fundah vater free of coat to ths College. An exhaustlva
eeareh of the authorltlsrrhas bean made by thir depertrmnt end
although we have not found a QADO deoided by ow Supreme Court
dlreetly In point, ve believe the following holdings in which
4lmllar quo&lone were up fop ~on8lderrtion eupport 0~ con-
tention thet the contract wa8 In all respect4 legal and binding
upon the city.
In 30 Tex. Jurlr., p. 115, paragraph 56 ve find the
follovlng 16n@ager
'A municipal oorporatlon cannot, by contrrot
or otherwise, tmrrendec,delegate, or barter ova2
Its novernmental or leltlalatlvefunttion or power8
vhoae uae8 and continued evailabllitr an srsentlal
to the public gocsl#nor an it legally enter into
any contract vNoh will emberrae4, pmvent, aontrol
or tnterfere with Its future 4XOrCleO of 8uch pavers.
A statute wNah atteapts to give it authorfty 80 to
do violates the conetltutlonal lnhlbltlon ogsinst
irrevocable or uncontrolleble grentr of ape&al
privilege6 or lmmunltlb4.A (See Bower6 v. City of
Tsylor, 24 3. U. (26) 816, holding that R. 9. 1925
Articles 1.018-1020,violate Conat. Art. 1, paragraph
17, ln 43 fer a8 they pemrlt 8 city to close and
vest conclusive control of a atreet in a railroad
company for 15 years.
Hon. W. J. McConnell - Page 5
Article 1, Section 17 of our Constitution reads as
follovs:
“lo person’8 property shall be taken, damaged
or destroyed for or applied to public use vlthout
adequate ccu~ensatlon being made, unless by the
conGent of s&h peracm; and, vhsn taken except for
the use of the State, ouch coamnsatlon shall be
first made. or secured by a deDo#lt of moneys and
no Irrevocable or uncontrollable grant of swcial
prlvlleaes end lmunlties shall be made: but all
privllenea and fmnoNser wanted bv the Lekislatur
or cmated under its authority shall be subject to
the control thereof." (Underscoring ourr)
In Foster et al V. City of Waco, et al, our Supreme
Court, 255 S. If. 1104, held:
"It is a general and undlnputed propollltlon
of lav that a municipal corporation possesses and
can exercise the-followLag- povertv,
. and no others:
Fir&,. those nranted In exureatlv&dr; sewn d ,D
those necersarlly or fairly ImDlled in or inoldent
to the novera exweaslp granted1 tNrd. those
essential to the accomllstnent of the declared
arrecta and Durposee of the oorvoratlon --not
Icur,
alm~ly aonvenient. but lndlrrwnuable. Any --*-
reasonable, Iiubltantlsl doubt eonaernlng the
existence of power 1s resolved by the court8 against
the corooratlon. and the Dover 1s denied. Of everY
munlclpal corporation the charter or statute bz
vNoh it la created is its ormuaic act. Relther
-the corporation nor its officers can do MY sot,
or make any oontrect. or incur any liablllitr. snot
authorized thereby, or by some 1enislMive act
applicable thereto. All acta bev@nd the acorm 3f
the povere g1Tanted am void." (ii;laeracoring- ours)
In City of Co un Chrlstl v. Central Wharf. II:
Whae.
'p 27 5. H. 803, the following language
co., et al, C. C. A. 189;,
la found:
"At moat their action was in excens of the
povers conferred. The restrictions upon the powers
of a city government am imposed by law for the
protection of the inhabitants of the city and the
general public. By proper proceedings, taken by
the right parties in due time, all such trans-
mm. W.J. McComoll - l'we 6
gre8alaPaaof povclr8ay be prolgtly remedied.
Ab O, lU BOVOM V. CitJ Of I! iOr, Ot il, 24 S.U.
vhem it v80 bid that Artlales
Y 018 to 1020, It.8.
trollablegraatlrOS apeala gri%il~em or ~tlu. (C-at.
Art. I, sea. l?).‘
In the a&e o? city of BPonbu 1. BPuhmm Water
Cw, 4 a. Ii. 143, suprne cwPt or Tuu, helcung: ‘A
city ordlno~ce grated to l water eompaay the right md
privlle~efor thm tern OS 25 yean from tha doptlaa a? thlr
0~4iunoe or suppl- tin city of B., ud tku %nbbltaatr
Unroof, vlth vrko for dowmtia and 0th~ QuxQQ``#. ud SOP
tlm o%tin@mnt Of tin. . . . .?weP munlolpal g lna to l
eorporatlem to contrurt la relatfcmto a givul.wbjeet mattop
doer not awry, by lmplteatlar,the power to aontrwt, even
vlth refecllrroe
to that, so l@ to emburum and late&en with
it8 future aantrel orer the matter, u the publlo inkrut
My PequlPe."
Imtuutltmel ala. 1. Fty.co. v. &ldePaoA aoumty,
rtel,l74 S.U. ``,lmld~mlatum eouldgu~ valid lav
requiring oocporatiom to vhau it had ir8\ud ehbrfsr to Loop
Offlaesin cert8i.n
lodlit~ lndsiynitsly.
In 149 9. w. Beltlenv* city OS nlqma ?al.8,
1. I. SupPew Co
In City of Tea@m v. Sheffield,26 5. V. (2) 417,
JudgeOallagherof Court of Civil Appealsquoted ONet Sumtice
haor 61 follmfst
‘Amwlaiprl corporationhas no paver $0
cede way or embarraw the exereire of it8 Joale-
Hon. Vi. J. 'icConn~sll
- Fsga 7
ertorwnoe af it8 public dutle8 or from coAtrolllAg
9ii-a Puture a4 iti may deex best its rrunlclpal
effeirar, an3 when E contrliotis .mde by ouoh corpore-
tion whiah is ngt warrated by the statutory cluthorfte
oonferred won it. tCe Kovernin& body of such city has
et ell time tha right to deolere It void and to refure
OOmPlhno@ thsrsrlth.w (:fndersoorlAgours)
IA Earklne v. Orlando, 51 F. (ad) 901, it ~88 rtated:
"In ab8enee of atetut., au~loipal oontrsat 8u1 be
for l re88oneble time only 8~8~ in the exerolae of
proprletory runotf0na.~ (Underrooringours)
Uo;juillinHunloipal Corporstlon8, Vol. 3, 840. 1355,
page 1279i reoit.08:
*If there 18 A4 suoh PmViSiOA (08 to number OS
yearr), the r4oroAablenne8rof the tine is prsrent84
for derl8ion; and eontraotrrtar 50 yeam, 30 ~emrm,
25 ye8r8 and like perlad have been held vilid. go
where 4 oity ~68 authorbed to oontr8et for a wetor
rupply without 1ImItetloxma8 to term, 8 pr~virlon to
pay a oertaln 8um ye8rly for 20 yoam for rator supplied
to hydmmtr of the olty, thereafter the water ror 88id
hHr8nts to b elumlled rr88 of oharae: wea held to be
within the Dauer of the altr and bindins 011 th0 somDuq.
Belt ort v. Relfort, W8ter Co., 98 A. 736.* (Under~oorlng
ours)
We are mindful of the faot that the o8se8 cite5
herelnabovr all are b8red on coAtraot8 whleh Qhe oltler had
nude or attempted to make with individuals or aorporation8
end AOW oonorm4d eontraotual rel8tionr rlth the State. We
think the law to be well settled on the que8tIoA of the @wer
or a city government eetlng in ltn proprlstory oaprelty, to
enter into oontrsots th8 performme of which would extend
well beyond the tenure of offloe of thoee olty oflialalr
8wvlng at the time of the *ward. In Cltr of CroebyteA v. Texar-
New ~exloo Utllitles Co.,157 S.:v.(2)W8, the Court of Civil
Lppeelm h4Sd!(Reh.DeA.) "A oity may lxeralse it8 proprletory or
busln4ss funotiona,aa by enter&g into contractforprlvate intareate
634
0r itg inhabitanta or ltsalf. ln sama way and to rams oxtout
‘s ln4lvlduals or prlrrte oorporetions.n
?!ethink the oontraot undrr oonslderation in this
opinlon is olearlp one involvlngproprletory sots oi the olty.
in addition to the lmpllea wtborltg the oltywould have to
ator into 8uoh IIoontrsot by virtue of its ohsrtsr, the
~gi8iaturr, the tory orestor or the cltp 0r Danton madrrom
whloh body 8ala oltg d8rlY88all its authority, roowsea
ad furthersextamlob thr sutbwlty of bho oity to 80 sot
' when lt pas8.d the Bill rutfqritlngthe l8tabll8hmont
et
lor$h Texas Stabe Woraal Colligooonb~enb upon the lxeoublon
.or ww lg r wnmtaa harelnabore quato& (Sac El Paw v. Conklin .
&S. w. 989)
16 18.the oonslasre4 oplnlon of this dopartaont
that the City of Daaboa w&s aotlnu within its authority at
th8 tlme the -88aant wa8 made; thst tho oontraot wa8 valid,
that it 18 0r a oontinuincrnature unb ~80long a8 the mate 0r
Texas aaintala8uyl op8rabb8t&o Tmoher8 Collage at its
proront1008tion,Me City or Denton 18 loq8llyb0uud tro
rurnlsh watsr to bhr C01Lege ifes or oo8t.
It iollowr,thoreroro,thit we must*$,%rroegatlro
uswar to both your 8aoonUuib third qw8tiooS. Vi8tU*
it we8 within the roamonable akxtlolpatlon of ~the Cltf tbat
abb$tion# Would bo~uae $0 the OOlhg8 88 it y8w bha’ougb thhs
ymr8, uul bhe “oxt.tn-aUml or 8uxlllry witsrprlro,woh a8
a 8olLt-8upporblng dcmalboryw~ir orrbslnly 8 produst oi
nolmml oolle~s *xpErlsl*.
very truly your*
*TRUDY GEUERAL
OF TI?JAs B. Y. De3surfn
A88irbant