Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

’
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
County Auditor
r..
in. Herr18 County
,.t',:r~ %ueton. Texar
Se ham pour let
"On Septeaibar
an exeoutlre orbar, ated the Of-
floe of Ztzo~aboy Man 6 aotual oreafioa
9 an ada\lnia-
Offloo of Clrilian
l4 the Oo~smorm o? the
or8 or Cuor4lmtora of
n their 8ereral iStates.
of the legal
si$hts and resgon-
a~partsfniag tomeh pasltlom.* 'Ihe
quote4 language le taken from the far% of aom-
mi~slon IssueU by the Governor.
%Q far lI I am infommd, the Gaveraor has
not isau~d rpooiric proclamations or other ln-
struotfons authorizLng or 4lreobing the Tarlous
mordinators appointed in Xarria County to adopt
Honorablr B. L. I%*hburn, cage e
the plan for olrillan 4afenae whloh hea bomn
pleoe4 In effoot by a tentative an4 aomwhat
: . looao agmement among the aeveral Coordinators
appointed In Barr18 County. The County Judge
an4 the Kayur of tha City of Houston, as the
appointed Coordinator8 of the two largeat gorern-
mental units fn Harria County, have entern4 in-
to an egmement with the &a~ors of the other
munlclpelitlea, by whiah Colonel Tke Aahburn
wla appoint& Dlreotor of Clrlllan Lmfenae with
general authority to aoordinate such defense
aotivltles In Earrla County. Aa I understand
the present arrangesent, each of tha muniolpal-
ltlea lnvolre4, wlth the exception of the Coun-
ty of Harris an4 the City of Houston, propoaea
to diraot all of It@ OnB ex~emditures deter-
mined by It to be neosacarp in oonueotioa wltb
ths defense aetivftiea. It ia further Froposed
hy the County Jud&e and the &:a~or that the Coun-
ty of Harris ac4 the City of Houaton shall eon-
tributn fuund.sfor the support, opsmtion, an4
wintenanoe o? the Qffioe of the Mreotor at
Cfviliwn IIsfensa and to dafray the expanses
whlah are sat forth ln~ the bud&et submitteb by
tha Clreotor of Mvllian Deferuse, a oorg of
whiah ia attaahed. Ranemlly, the type of ex-
pendltum propoaed oon6lata of the esplay``ent
of the neoeraary pemonnel, outlays for tsle-
phone llnea, expenditures and, maintenanoe of
siotor epulpment, and the pumhaae 0r warning
signal8 to be installed an4 aalntalned by the
Eireotor.
*The auggemted method or opsmtlng the Cf-
rioe er the Diraotor of Civilian Pefenee, and
the aativtties which will be enrrled on uu4er
his dfrsot%on and supervision, le by dlmot
f lnanoial oontributlon, or, eltsmatltel~, by
the oontribution of equipBent, pemonnel, and
aupgllea for the operetlon end oalntenonoe of
the civilian derenae setup. This, therefore,
immediately miaea ttls question of the author-
ity or County orricera to contrll.uts fund8 r0r
this purpose, OP the 1BndiWJ Or BmplOyBe8, SUP-
plies, and equlplaant. Tha proposed oourae or
aotion pmeenta to lag mind the fo1lowI.W quea-
tiona rhlch are reapeotftily 8ubmitte4 to you
rOr 4ete25htian:
‘..>.I
Eonorablo R. L. !c‘aahburn, Pago 8
"(1) Yay the kunty legally oontrlbuto to tha
support and maL~teaanoo 0r the ofrior 0r tha
Qfreotor or Civilian Defenao of Harris County
money from its fisnaml Fund, or its Road and
Bridge Fund, or both, for the payment of the
type of oxpenaea outlined in the budget aub-
mitted by the Dlreetor of Clvlllnn Defense?
"(6) If the Oounty and its orrloers hove. such
authority, mar the Count9, lo tluthrough
g the
Waulaalonera~ Qourt, enter Into a joint oop-
tract with the City o fHo wa to n,llthar alone
or jolntlt tith the various other munlolpalltlea
in Farrla Count9, to proTide for the o eratlon
Of the Offloe oi the Director or Clrll f an De-
fenae, an4 the oontrlbutlon or ruade ror auoh
purpose out of the Osnwal Pun4 and the Roa6
an4 Bridge Fun47
"(3) If the County mey 1 ally latar 5.nta auoh
a co&mot as la suggeate3 la Quertloa (4) abova,
may the County then pay over Its pro rota sham
of the fund8 fixed by the oontraot to the Dlree-
tor ror erpaa4lture, or s.Ust any such aontraot
provide that expenditures Shall be m4e only In
aocordanoa with the laws protl4lng for a4rrrtlae-
aeat for bids, ptiaoa, audits, and other laws
regulstlag tha aoaountlng for and expenditure of
Gouaty funds, auoh as the Depoaltor9 T.aw, et
cetera?
“(4) In the event you aimuld be of the opinloa
that the County my not legally direotlj ooa-
tribute manea from its General ?und, or Its
Road an4 Bridge Fund, aa aug~eate4 In Queatlon
(1) above, am it, without violating the law
acting throug K the Commlaalonera* Court an4 its
duly oonstltuteb offloara, auoh as the Sheriff,
the imeaaor and Colleotor of Taxes, ard other
ajmllar offloors, oontrlbuto supplies, mohla-
cry, equipment, and personnel for the purpose
or operating and ncfintalnlng the offioe of CliIl-
Inn Dotense, suoh operation and malntanaaoe to
be 6ubjaOt to the direotlon of the appointed
Qlreotor for Harris Oounty?
*'ihe obdeot to be aao~mp3lahe4 IS not onI9
a laudable one, but la undoubtedly a pub110
Ronoreblo H. L. W48hbum, Page &
I . matter. It 8eema to me, however, that the au-
thorlty af ths Caunty ottlaars 4ad the Comml.8-
i3i0llOrEi Court, in abnnrotfon with euoh matter,
is limitsd. Berrfr County happens to be rituated
in a partioul4rly vital 4re8, 41~04 it 14 the
mat and oenter of muah wurk and manutaatum 410
reatsd tc th4 iapcrt4nt end of a ~8uecrraiul pro-
88aution of th4 war. It IB, 4s you know, t&r
oenter of oil aotiritl48 and the, various r4-
finorles themaelr46 81% at th4 pmsgnt time l4rg4-
ly 4 aged in the mmufaaturr et tcluck4$&l;ther
ingr%onts OF baeea ot explorives.
therewforo, a 4e6%rable objest to ;.be w%ceplli5h-
e4 by the operatlen of th4 Oftioe of Civilian
w4B80.
*The Ccmml8rionrra~ Court Is authorlsed by
tf;4 provlalon8 Of ArtAolr Y, Sectian 18, of the
Conatitutioa, wbioh provides in part, 48 follaw8:
mrl’ha county oommlseionore 80 ohomen. with
the oounty j\?agei as presiding cfilorr, 8-1
eompo+e4th4 GotmtJ Ccmaissionere Court, whleh
8hiLl exercise ruoh pewem and jurivdietion war
all &aunt? buein484, 48 18 conferred by thl8
Con8titutlon cm& ths law8 ai tha State, or 50
may be hamafter prrsaribe& *
Vho ganecal pawarr of a Ocuml8aion4r8*
Court are provided In &tlale 2551, Vernon*8
Annot4t4d T4x48 Statut48. In addition to the
genrral power8 them awi!mrated there are v8r-
ioun 8 8aial power8 snuam+at*4 In the 8tatute8
which ia 14 beon p4e8ed from time to time. %%A@,
ths Forty-Seventh Lsglal4turo pa8wd an 4et
which Is now a8rri4d a8 W$tolo 835la-1, Var-
wm*e Annotate4 Tmas Watutrr, whloh author-
is411 the County Cmmi805awm’ Court to 'tur-
aleh fire proteotion and fir4 fighting 4gulp-
ment to th4 citisem of 8aah oouaty r48Miry
outside the aity llmita of 4ny a%$~, town, or
village within the county and/Or adjoining OOPP-
t14e.1 '&la etatute speoitieally authorlt48
the ColsmSe8iearrs" Court to mk4 oontr4Ot6 with
*any city, town, or village within the oouutp
ad/or adjoinIng eountles, upon suoh term8 aad
oonditioaa aa 411 be 4gr.44 upon brtwesa the
Conu4ie8ion4re' @!I ourt and the governing body Of
Ronarabla H. I,. Wmhburn, Page 5
6UOh Olty, ton%, cm ~111~4, for the~uoe or the
i . tire truoks and other tire flshting equIpaan$ of
the ofty, town, or vfllsge.l The 4ot 4OZlO1Ud48
with 4 provl.60 reading:
R``~vIQeQd, however, that any flro eqolp-
want purohared by any County ahall be 4``0 only
by a majority tote of property owning taxpayorr
and quelifird vetern of such aouxty at a aounty-
wide eleotion oalled for ruoh p~4~080.~
“nl4l-4 are
ale0 ~ViSfOn4 In the Pub110
E4alth St4tUt48, 8U4h 48 &tiOlS 4410f, ‘author-
k ing th e lx p mdftur e CommIsaI.oners~
by th8
CotirE at County runa for publio health an4
sanlt.atIan. Arti 68Eb autharieec the Oom-
mIs4Ionerr~ Court rnQ the oounoil of any OIty
or town to crpprupriata mQ 4xp4nQ non4y for
the eXp4B8eS Of tmOp8, bSft6ri48, OorPpEniOS,
SigBal i7U 8 hospital 44tP8, S&l6b8IidS Of th8
aatIv4 x5.1 T tia of thin m&e locrat44 in moh
oeunti4s altier, or towns, not to 4rewa the
sum of $iOO per month ror thr expenr,e ei eny
on4 organization. ktiale 3891a authorls~8 the
COIUlty OcPlsli841On4%‘8’ Qourt, oity luthorftfo8,
OOSUEUUiti48, End OfViU and MtriQtie Ol’@li:i3~-
tioas to provida funds, armorI**, lqulment,
EatsvIal, tranrportetien, or oth4r apppmpriatc,
s4rvioes or iaoilities, to the Texas EM&MO
Guard. Them is also ml014 0144 proviaing
for a ‘Km4 Guard, * Tblpl 14ttar 4t4tuts mm48
to oentsmplats ths organIsatlon at a gu4rvIlU
band whIah will bs 4uthorIse4, or the member8
of which will b;z authorized, to oarry p14tO18
and ether weapons when *aalled to lotual duty
by the aharltt.' me %ot provider that ‘ooim-
ties, oit1es, and tnnnr aray through their lew-
tul gcverning bGQI48 appropri4te trem their pub-
110 tr44scrIe8, rconeym to rOvI44 arm au4 am-
munition for such herd unii 41 such rrtla 4 M they
rr4y prsaorIb4, and those reoeivlng arms from the
county shall x&urn all isunv~and aau5unltl~n to
the ouunty 5udg4 when not an duty.' The tfP8
of expsnditurr authorte8Q by~th4s4 various @tat-
Ut44 18 Very 4imiL4r w th4 type o? 4Xp4UditUr4
now proposed to be made en4 about whI4h the above
w*tloaas ar4 prOpOunQ*d. ?h4 ia4t that th4 Leg-
Pslature round It ne44~ury to pass etatUt
Honorable H. L. Kaahburn, ?a;$. 6
: * ~peoliloally authorizing
the Cwmias1onara*
Court to make the types above
Eaxpendit.wre
of
noted Impala the neoeaeary c~nolu~lon that wlth-
out suah statutes the Court would have no au-
thority to arake mob expenditurea.
“So far aa I hare been able to learn then
18 no statute apsoltloally authorlrlng any of-
pendlture in oonneotlon with the ‘Cn?iee of
Civilian Defa~nae* of any OS its branohar. Our
Court8 have repeatedly aald in the part that
the powere of tha Ctmmir8lonera* courts and oi-
tieera of eountior lra limited to thoee exprear-
ly granted to them by the Coa~tltutlon and mtat-
utea, and rueh parers as are neoessarily implied
rrom those axprm~ly granted.
“h’llla County va. Lamparaa County, 40 6.W.
5b8, 90 Texar 6OSl
*Comml8alonerr~ Court of tradlwon Coun8y vm.
Ballaoe, et al, 15 S. a. (2) 555;
“Van Rosanber at ll.va. Xavett, 17s 2.W.
508 (Error Refund 7’$
W3nmisrlonera* Qourt at liarrle Q0Wity W.
Kaiser, et al., es 5. w. (a) 840 (Error Rafuaml);
vX.ty ot Brsokmrld~o ~8. Stephem Oeu``ty,
~$eimmplon of Appoal8) 180 !WxaI, 2318, 40 S.B.
``uan-Xarrea Fubllahi~ %atpanj to. Hutch-
insen County, 45 S. iv. (I) 651 (Wrer Rsfuled);
*Sag& ver Campbell, et al., 4i3 S. y* (g)
515; and,
*Len&an ~8. State, 97 8. :‘j. (Z) e64 (Error
Refured).
Tit is ganerelly noa@ilzed that the oao-
mi88ionem~ Court aay abt through @gent8 for oer-
ta$.n purpoaeo, although their eutherity to a0
aat eoaa~a mmewhab limited by the atatutd8. A*
t&ale 1580, Ravfred Civil Btatuter, lP%g. The
Honorable B. L. lmahburn, Faga 7
Legislature may oC&?&t oouiaty bualneaa to some
other Lenoy than the Camiaslonera~ Court.
1 *Austin Moe. ve. Patton, et aL, (domraiaalon o?
Appeala), 208 S. ‘6:. 168. But appanntly the
authority of the Ceatmlaslonera~ Court to dele-
gate its authority la very llmltea. Thus It
haa been held that the duty or the County aaa-
missioners to audit all elalma againat tha aoan-
ty and to order paid only than found to be uat,
la judlolal and it8 perfnmanoe oannot be de i e-
ated to another. Padgett, at al. va. You~16
8 ounty, et al., 204 6. II’. 1046, (Error dlamlaad,
1u9 S. 6. 459 1. Pnoumablf the aame rule would
u Oounty Auditor, in the Qiaoharge
0804up o nme b lua hltatutea aa
Mtlolea 166 , 1661, and But motion L, PIsetion
19, of Art1018 39138.
“Them are numeroim provIaiona OS our Con-
atitutlon dlaoloaing a gesleral polkg s? 00nrin-
~m~oaea other than those ror whioh the7 were
Set Arttola III, Seotfcma 44, 61, %18,
and 55;*kr?Aele I, Seotiona S and 16; and Art%-
ele XV3 Saotlon 6. Our Supreme Court ham ala0
expresaiy aeolareu that fknty t3awairaloaen~
Courta have no authority to tranaier mosey frola
a fund orsate tar one purpose to a ipkQ omated
ror 5050 other purpose. 08rrol1, at al. vs. V?llllam,
County Tmaeumr, et al, 109 Texas 158, IxIE S.W.
504.
=I do not underHand that the @overnor, In
hi8 derignation of the County Judge, hu in any
eense undertaken to authorire the erpendlture of
any funds iOr any purpose. %e EEOverncwla, of
eourae, given aomrwhat broad authority by the er-
preaa provlaiona of Saotlen 7, Artlole IV, of
the Constitution, whiah reader
“life shall
be Ccsunander-in-Chlof of tha
milltar the State, eroept don
toraea
of they
;yat;;lled into the 8etua.l serviom of the United
Be ahall hare powet to aall IIerth tho
mll.t& to aeoote the law8 of the StatO* to
auppreaa inaurreotlone, repel in~aalene and
protaot thefrontier iron! hoetile knLnoura~on%by
Indian or other predatory bands. *
Honorable E. L. Washbuxa, Pago 8
_I
wAn7 expenditure8 which mkht be undertaken
I . la aonneotlon with the above eeatlon of the Con-
stitution, or any other aeatlon of the Conatltu-
tlon authorizing the Governor to aat, would not,
ao tar 88 f am lntomed, give the Governor any
authority to euthoriee oounty oftlaara to spend
money tram aounty fund8 in the turtheranoe of
the and8 a8 authorlrea. It aaaae to ma that luoh
lotlvltles on the part a? the Govomor mumt neu-
laaarlly be tfnanoed rrcai approp~latlona made
by the Leglalature or under acaie let of the Leg-
jalature apaoltloailp luthorialng the Cm8laalon-
era* Court, or other oounty ofrioera, to spend
money In aid of aatIvltlea undertaken by the
Governor under sonatltutlonel author1 ty.
“It aeema turther apparant to ma froai thm
executive order proaxlpated by the Frealdent
oroating the Otllae o? ~irlllan Dokionre that
It wee eonteaiplated that the Federal Government
would defray the lotual oxgenaea laoident to
thq sotup of that organization. The order aeema
to aontenplate the 2tataa am unite In the Civil-
Ian ueronae authority,, Of ooutiae, oouatlea are
declared by ou1 Constitution to be legal aub-
dlvIalona ai the State. Artlole 23, Saotlan 1,
I understand the rule to ba that Cuimlsalonera’
Courts ma without an7 legislative powers what-
aoever, and, am th+ governing bodies ot au+
‘-4. (1. i$lona ai the Etate, muat rely upon the Leg-
Ydature for authority to emend ?unda. I have
bean unable to find any authority for the ox-
pendltura propoaod In thfa l~,tanoe, either in
the fern? ot a direct authorization by #a Lag-
lelature, or in the. tom of en lmplloati~ in
exlatlng statute*. I hero enumerated oort8ln
atetutea above tmm whioh it might be @ai4 that
certain wera oould be inferred, but I: do not
believe e hat they are broad enough to authorlte
expenditUm8 o? the tme here proposed.
9, thsrefom, rWFeOt?dlly 8Ubnit ?Or YOUr
detsmlnetlon the queatlcna above ‘OmsmateQ,
and hare appended the oltat~on ai 8UthhoritiM
and dlaouaalon in the hope that they Nile., be Of
some aeslctsnae fn properly Qeterminl~, the ques-
tlona submitted.
i
BanoFablo H. L. Wa8hbuFn. Page Q
“A lvoent opinion OS your d8p8rtmnt whloh
, . 88-e to m to hera fbomebearing upon one ham
of the queatlon presented is pour Opinion I! -4483,
date& Xaroh 16, 194& addressed to Ronorablo
Burl Brittain, County Auditor, San Fatrio Coun-
ty, Xnton, Texan, In regard to the aynent of
exponaes of the County Judge inourre i as Coer-
dlnator or Civilian Defoorrr.~
Ma thank you tar the excellently rrittan opinion
oontainrd in your letter. Sin84 you aoourataly 8tat8 th8
law BP w8 umlerrtand It, we adopt the vlcrs 01 x-48846by
you a8 the oplnlon of thi8 Dapartmaat. It fol f 018 that
your rlrat and fourth qu48tionm are answered in the negative,
ana your esoond and third qu8stlon8 do not rsqulr8 an an8w.F.
Your4 very truly
ATTORIfEYOMlCRALQ,rTZXAS