Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1939 )

666 OFFICE OFTHEATTORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS AUSTIN Hon. V. a. Earshall,ChaInen State Soil ConservatfOnHoard ProfeaslonalBuilding Temple,Texas Dear Sir: elections. Your requesttoz a&i.&m on the a8 are herein set out has been,Fqceied by this ment. / ,./ ~.\\ Your qu8~tloJle Hon. V. C. Marshall,*page2 notices? "(7) When certainfund6 appropriated for oarryingout the law are exhausted how may the Board operateto carry out the law as is providedIn settingup 6istriot8 and to aSei&i in the operationof dlatri&8? "(8) How may the bcerd assembleInfor- mation that will enable judgeaat an ele&-, Who if4qUt%lifiet0 vote, tiOn t0 &eteZ?IihA8 when such Lnfowatlon is made av& able to the juQgesat such elsation?m ' Artiole,16%a4 Aots of the 46th tiglelatu-6, known and cited as the &ate 8011 Cowenatlon tar mm68 Illpart 86 ?OllOWt veJ% 3. mler8ver wed of refe,frs4 to In this bat, Wleas a Uiiiaront meunzr~& olearlyappearsfrom the oontextt a.... a(l8) *Lhn&mmr~ or 'Ownerof Land Lying outsideoi IdaorporateaOtti and Lnl 8' inOlude$Urg ~pil'00t1 7 18d Who hold or equitabletitle OP any lands lying with- in a Soil ConservationDistriotorgantied under the p~~vlslonsof th$s Aat and who Is a duly QU9.fifi8drotor within a&h ais- triot. R...* *(14) %u IYotioe* means notioe pub- lishedat least twiae,w%th an Intervalof at least 8efen t7)'day8between the 'trro[8) pub&3atlom3 datefi, In a newspa ef or other publioatlonof generaloimulatEoa within the appropriatearea, or 2X no such p%xblloa- tion of general airoulationbe available, by postingat a I?ea8Onabla number of @onsplouow 668 plmm~ vrlthlnthe ap~raprlateam, mdh poetlw to lnolude,wharc poeslble,~ smt- in& at rublie p1W8B -hews it may t?abUS- bewry to poet notlaesaonawnl~ oauaty or mmlalpal affairs, @merelly. At any haarlng he18 purnumt ta sue& motiak, at the time and ,aaoe desigmted in 6wh notioe, adfbumment !ay he *abe tn# time to tfma without the neamolty d remwing suoh not&e for auoh adJcubuxl &ate&* fkotion5 of the kot relatlvoto the dreation of soil oon.servetloa Ulstriotrmeda in part 186follower All ImndWa3ef8rlthla the boandk%i't'h@ terrltoWae 4Otermlasd by the State Wail.C=oannetlcn &o&i, ahall '4 eliglbloto vote in ewh electlone CmXy such landamero ehall be ell&ble to vote. 9. The Euerd nbell pay 'allexpenses far the lamema Or meh n0tiee11 and the ( Eleationlaws of thlo P+ate, me t em hsrs; in athemlee praoideil, e-tEmat the and ezeep ballot ahall not be nutsberedor sarltsdl'or identl?icrrtioapurposee, "I?.The Besir shall publish the result ot ewh lleetianand &e&l thereefteracme%- der,apU cetermlneuhetherthe opemtioa of the diBtrfotrit x$aft&t;;: ?i Hon. V. C. h'arshall, Page 4 of such district is not administratively practicableand feasible, it shall record such determinationand deny the petition. If the Board shall determine that the opera- tion of such district is administratively practicableand feasible, it shall record such determinationand shall proceed with the organizationof the distrlot in the manner hereinafterprovided. In making such determinstionthe Board shall give due re- gard to and weight to the attitudes or the owners of lanes lying within the defined boundaries,the number of resident landowners eligible to vote In such electionwho shall have voted, the proportion of the votes cast in such election in favor'of the creation of the district to the total number of votes cast, the approximatewealth and inaome~o? the landownersof the proposed dlstriet, the probably expense of carrying on.erosion-control operationswithin such district,and such other economic and social factors as may be relevant to such determinations,having due regard to the legislativedeterminationsset forth-in Section i2of this Act, provided, however, that the hoard shall not have authority to determine thatthe operation of the proposed distriot within the defined boundaries is administrativelypraotiaable ana feaslble.un- less at least two-thirds OS the votes cast in the election upon the proposition of creating of the district shall have been cast in favor of the creation of such district.* Paragraph H of Section 4 or the Act provides that: "The State Treasurer shall have the care and custody or all rude and securitiesof the State Board and shall be liable on his ofilalal bond for the lawful care, custody, application and disbursementthereof. Any funds coming in- to the hands of the Treasurer of this State, as hereinafterprovided, Bhall be by him credited to a special fund to be known as the State Soil 670 Bon. V. C. Earshall, Page 5 ConservationFund and the moneys hereafter depositedor credl.tedin suah fund are ‘hereby appropriatedto the use and benefit of the State Soil ConservationBoard, as may be by said Board used in compliancewith this Act. The Board shall provide and furnish a bieMie1 audit byna State Auditor and Effiaienby Expert and a report to the Governor of the State." The appropriationfor the use of the State Soil ConservationBoard in the administrationof the Texas Soil ConservationLaw IS provided therein. The General Depart- mental AppropriationBill of the 46th Legislature;Senate Bill No. 427, does not inolude the State Soil Conservation Board among the state departmentsand a~enaies It covers. Section 14 of the Texas Soil ConservationLaw calls for the appropriationor the sum of Ten Thousand ($10,000) Dollars for the purpose of areating and malntain- ing the State Soil ConservationBoar& until August 31, 1939. The purposes for which this s'ummay be expended are not itemized. Section 14a provides ror the approprfatlonof several sums for the two year period beginning September 1, 1939 and ending August 1, 1941. A speolfio sum is designated In each instance along with the purpose or purposes for wbiah it may be expended, Under'the head- ing "Expenses of District Organization,RearinSa, Referenda and Supervision"the sum or Six Hundred (8600) Dollars for the ear ending August 31, 1940, and the sum of Four Bundrea 1$400) Dollars for the year ending August 31, 1941 are earmarked for publication of notices. Likewise, a sum of Six Hundred ($600) Dollars for the ear ending August 31, 1940 end the sum of Four Hundred (%400) Dollar8 for the year endinS August 31, 1941, are earmaFke6 for publica- tion or results. Also, a sum of Twenty-one Hundred ana Sixty 12,160) Dollars for the year ending August 31, 1940 and the sum of Fourteen Hundred and Forty ($1,440) Dollars for the year ending August 31, 1941, ere earmarked ror elec- tion of District Supervisorsand a sum of Six Hundred (8600) D 11 fm QA‘ d¶q-August 31, 1940, snd FOUr Hun- d~ede~~40~~Dollars for the year ending August 31, 1941 are earmarked tor publication of results and One Rundred and Twenty ($120) Dollars for the year ending August 31, 1940 Ron. V. C. Farshall, Rage d b and the swu or One Hundred and Eighty ($180) Dollars for the year enafng August 31, 1931 are earmarkedfor publica- tion of hearing notices. St is, 0r oourae, elementary law that money appropriatedby the legislaturecannot be used ?or any other purpose than that specified in the ~appropriation bill without constitutinga mieapRlioetion0r public funds. Ts!e quote ?rcm aonferenaeopinion rendered by the Attorney General’s Department August 18, 1921, aa follows: *It is the law ef the state that no part of the money appropriatedby the legislature can be used for any purpose other than the specific purpose named in the appropriation bill. An expenditurefor a purpose other than the one ?or which the money uas appropaiated would be a misapplicstiono? public ?unds. The Comptrollerwould not be authorized to draw its warrants on any runas or rar any purpose exoept the purpose name&-In the Act, and the Treasurer would be without authority to honor a warrant’ on any fund for any purpose except that named in the appropriationblll.R This principle applies to all ‘theseveral slums of u,oneyset forth in Section lk and their respeotive purposes. In other words, money appropriatedfor one pur- pose cannot be used ?or another purpose even if there happens to be a surplus in the former and a shortage in the letter tuna. Regarding the method of selection, quallilaatlon end tenure of Soil ConservationDistrict Supervisorsthe Act providest “All landownerswithin the dlstrlct shall be eligible to vote in such election. Only suah landowners shall be eligible to vote. The three (3) candidates-whoshell receive the largest number, respectively,o? the votes cast in such election shall be the elected Supervisorsfor such &iBtriOt. The Board shall pay all the ex- penses of such election, shall supervise the conduot thereof in con?ormitywith the General Election laws a? this State, except as hereigts otherwise provided, and except that the bellbfs Ron. v. 0. Rarshall, P8g%0 shall not b%nmb8r%da markedfor idontiti- oaticm purymau; almll pre8orikx8guhtL0ne ga*ean~t?io oonduetof suoh lle6tlorkur4tbo dot%mlnatlon oi the oXi&bll.lty Qf 0ot.n the&k, ad shall pobli8b tko notlrt6 tb%r%oi." R%#~H~thoadoptioa of l.%nWmo roeul%tioa% the 8tatds proddeer a~oSupervi80r~ lrballmt &no luther%t~ to annet 8uoh l8n6-uaomjpJatloacr~lnt0 lm untileft%rthoy eb%llh%Y%o%u%%adw not100 t0 b gi~~rr 0r tha intmtion to 008doot UL ll%%tiofo o,r%a tml8a4 Nn6%u 8hlwl@ 8t1 088 to the lan&mm%r%witbim thobounQsrk8of tbo 4lotrlotfor tboS.rlndloatioxw at* provalor al%approvalof mxth oropowa n@a em%, and uutil aftorths Sup%rvl%or%hav%ooMldom& th e r %%u oltr a ueb llu tlo n.... Alllu k a wn%r 8 rlthln tb dlstrtot#la&l be ol la oaamntdtydththo ~Gu~%rsl of this State,o 8% h%resm oth%lMu pro- vl&%Q, ada~optt =T tthe ballet %halln& k numbpd or nmrkod for ldantifioatlon piupo~. ..*. ~ViX’tUO Of tb% fOFU@0~8t&&t, ~OUU'Ol-O- 8p%etf'UlLy at?r%sed that it 18 the opinionof this dopart- r%8tthstyoUrqU%8tioM ShOdd boua%w%r%da8foUast Wh%a b.men %ad hi8 wife own a farm r1W.n the bouzUlarS%8%? as d%t%rmin%d brtbo 8t%k 8011 the torritciry bM%?t8tiO8 baPd 8nd.r88ido dthln .SltOht%ZdtofJ, both tho hu%b%nUand ri?% ohall bo ontltledto rota Irrthe olo%- tloDa he14 tnder the dot providead t&y %r% oth%rwS%oquall- flsd ttndorthe Constltutfon tma lem oi this Bteito. 2. A larml%wxt%r living in the Lnoorporated sltiea OT tOWM Who OlVM hndS OUtsid th0 OCU'ptUatO ligit@ Of 8l.d city or tCmn within tho barurdrriO8 Of thO4iOX'rltoX'y aa U%t%ntlneU by tk St&o OoiZ Conematloa Boati would not be pemittod to rota In the oleotlua#hold under the Aat. 18 order%& by the ?kmld ln (I 3. ?Fh%n613olcratfon Eon. v. c. E8rshall, Page a propowl dlstrlotall lnndouno~'E rithin the botm4ariw of t-tory aa detenainedM the State Soil ComenatIon Board shall be eligibleto rote In sueh oleetlon6aa4 only awh len4tmaer&! e&all k lllglbleto rote, provide4they are othorwln quallfledunder the Constitution and lm~ of this State, ti. 4. Xaoorporated 6ltIes an4 towna shouldnot be inoludedas a par% ai a dlstrlot. 5. The State Board would not be pomltted under the lau to peat notioeeoS an lleotlonor pub110huarIoga ratherthen t+ publIshemah notloeswhere there ir R nm8- paper or other publloatloaof generulolroulatlon dthln tke appropriatearea or territory,in ~ompllanoewith Art. me, R c. 6, 6. Whon app rlatlonrr r0r postingnotioeeor holaligeleatlonsare 3b lwted the Aot pmtldea no other means by *Ioh the E#rd may oontinw holdfng8wh aloo- talonsand poaflq notloe8and pay ior the sam until there Is an appropriationby the legislaturefor uuoh pmrpasee. 7, The Aot wntain8 no pre~lsionauthorizing the aOa+ in nttlag up dlatriotef&l amsltilng1.nthe operationor diatribtswhy iundeiappropriatedfor theae spoltlo purposea8x0 exhfmstedr 8. Tbe etatutspratldgs that the Isou?dshall prvsorlbereguletlons@Yeming the eondueto? lleotiona an4 the 46tenainatlonof eligibilityof voterstherein. 9'3~Aat prerarlbesno manner byrhiab tha Boar4may amem- ble Inionmtien that will enable Judge6at en lleot%onto d&endw who 1s +alSfiod to vote. Thle matterIs within the 41soretlon0r the Fk?e4*, Trusting that w have fully awverrd your inquiry, v* rcanala very truly your8