ATTORNEY GENERAL
Under provisions set out in the Texas Constitution, the Texas Government Code, 
Title 4,  402.042 and numerous statutes, the attorney general is authorized to 
write advisory opinions for state and local officials. These advisory opinions 
are requested by agencies or officials when they are confronted with unique or 
unusually difficult legal questions. The attorney general also determines, under 
authority of the Texas Open Records Act, whether information requested for 
release from governmental agencies may be held from public disclosure. Requests 
for opinions, opinions, and open record decisions are summarized for publication 
in the Texas Register. The Attorney General responds to many requests for 
opinions and open records decisions with letter opinions. A letter opinion has 
the same force and effect as a formal Attorney General Opinion, and represents 
the opinion of the Attorney General unless and until it is modified or overruled 
by a subsequent letter opinion, a formal Attorney General Opinion, or a decision 
of a court of record. To request copies of opinions, phone (512) 462-0011. To 
inquire about pending requests for opinions, phone (512) 463-2110.

Request for Opinions

ID# 39113. Request from The Honorable Edwin E. Powell, Jr., Coryell County
 Attorney, P.O. Box 796, 113 South 7th Street, Gatesville, Texas 76528, 
concerning
 authority of a municipality to enact a drainage utility fee under sec.402.047,
 Local Government Code.


ID# 39312. Request from The Honorable Howard Freemyer, Kent County Attorney,
 Kent County Courthouse, Jayton, Texas 79528, concerning application for
 designation of a public road under sec.251.053, Transportation Code.

ID# 39325. Request from The Honorable John W. Berry, Karnes County Attorney,
 101 North Panna Maria, Suite 10, Karnes City, Texas 78118, concerning whether
 the Karnes County Correctional Center is subject to ad valorem taxation.

ID# 39336. Request from The Honorable J.E. (Buster) Brown, Texas Senate,
 P.O. Box 12068, Austin, Texas 78711, concerning constitutionality of a
 municipality's uncompensated displacement of private garbage haulers in newly-
annexed
 areas.


TRD-9701202