Opinion letter to the Honorable Bill D. Burlison

Harch 2, 1964 Honorable Bill D. Burlison Prosecuting Attorney Cape Girardeau Oountr Cape Girardeau, ttlssouri Dear Mr. Burlison 1 oPrno~r 320 ( 19r~3) 7 ( 1964) .-~.lf::>viJ:~.R.till BY Lb. TTER - -C • B . Burns , Jr . -=----- Fli C:IJ This is 1n answer to your letter 1n vh1oh JOU ask acv-r a l questions regarding the "Riverside Regional Library. " You state that tbe county library districts of Oape Girardeau, Scott and Perr7 Counties and the city librarr of PerrJV!lle, Missouri, have contracted with each other under the provisions or Section 70. 210 to 70. 360, RSMo, tor cooperative s~rv1ce s aa f'!ho Riverside ReB1onal Librat-J". You ask six questions regarding the power Qnd authoritJ or such so-called regional library to purchase real estate tor the use of such regional library. Your ttrst question is whether "Riverside Regional Library" can purchase real estate and incur indebtedness therefor in an amount less tban the yearly gross income of suoh regional library but in an amount greater than the 7early income or one or more or the individual contracting libraries. As you pointed out, the so-called regional library came into existence as a matter of contract between the various countr library district boards and the city library boaro under provisions of Sections 70. 210 to 70.320. Suoh regional library does not have any other ex1stenoe than the result of the contract between such libraries and does not exist as a statutorr politi- cal ar other subdivision. Section 70. 240 and Section 70.250, RSMo, provide as follows& n70. 240. Landa may be aoqUired--how.- The R!J:tiea !.2, such contract or cooperative Honorable Bill D. Burlison act ion or .!nz. o£ thoro. 7 cquire, by gift orpurcliase, or~J the powor of e~nent domain oxorc1sed by one or nwre ot the part tes ther to in the same manner as noH or hereafter pr ovided for corpori4- tions created \maer the law of this atato for public use, c~pter 523, RSMo, anc ~~endrnents thereto, th lands necessary or useful tor the joint uso of the parties tor the purposes. provided in section 70. 220, either within or without the corporate or tel'Titor1al 1Ln1ts of one or rllOX'e o1" the contracting parties, and shall have the 2ower to hold or acquire sa.Ia 1an<TS -s-tenants1iioo~on . - - - -· '' ( ~ft1Phas1s added. ) "70.2$0. Method o£ r1o~nc1ng .--Any such municipality or political subdivision may prov1cte for the tinano1ng of its s~e or portion of the oost or expenses or such contract or cooperative action 1n a manner and by the samo procedure for the financing by such municipality or political subdivision o~ the subject and purposes of s id contract or cooperative action if acting alone and on ita ovn behalf . " Section 70. 240 confers no powe t~ on the ao-called regional l ibrary to hold real est te. Such statute providen that tho parties to the c~operative action or contract or one party to the cooperative ct1on or contract InElJ aoqu.ire land nd where more tban one of suoh ps.rttes to the contract err cooperative action acquire land to be used by the parties to the coopera- t ive action or contract. title to such land ts to be taken by auoh parties o.s tenants in co11lLJlon. Section 70. 250 ·es plain thlt each party to the contract 'Which makes a pur-cbaso can do so only in the nner and bJ the same procedure as it such party w re purchasing the property alone. Ther&rore, the so-callod regional library cannot acquire land in ita ~ame aa a regional llbrary as though 1t were a l egal ent1tJ1 but ono or ,ore of t he parties to the contract creating au.ch rea1onal library" nay aoquiro land and if two or More or auoh contractill6 part!.es do acquire land they hold title to such land as tenants in col"U'lln. -2- Jlonorable 8111 D. Burllaon !he next tlYe queatlone in JOur request are apparently baaed on the aaaumpt 1on that the regional libr&rJ doe a baYe pover to purobaae l&Dd. S1Doe w bave ruled otherwise 1D answer to JOur tlrat quest1oa, lt beooa.a uaneoesaarJ to answer queatlons two through au. Bov.ver, ve bell••• tbat JOU are tlllldamentallJ concerned With the question of haw the 1adJ.Yldtal llbw.rJ boards •1 ake the puroba•e o£ the land to be wsed tor llbr&rJ purposes and to be he14 aa teDaftta ill COJJlftOrt. We turtber assume that JOU are concerned vlth the right ot JOur count7 llbrar7 district to nake tbla purchase, beoauae JOU as proaeoutlng attorneJ' would baYe no ottlcS:al duties regard111g the oltJ llbrarr ot Peri'"JYllle, Misawrl. Seotlon 26(a) of Artlole VI ot the Oonatltutlon ot Miaso"Lrl proYl~• as follows t .. ., oountJ, cltJ, incorporated tovD or Ylllage, sohool d1atr1ot or other political corporation or aub41Y1alon ot the state aha 11 become indebted in an amount exoee41Dg 1n &DJ ye.ar the lDOo• and reYeaue prcwlded r~ auoh Je&r plua anJ unencumbered balances trom pnYloua 7eara, except a a otlwr- vise prOYidecl 1n thla oonatltutlon." ~eot lon 182.010 gr~ ld.ea tba t a oo\UltJ llbrarJ d1atr1ot la a bOd3' corporate. Such countJ llbr&rJ dlstrlot would, therefore, be a pol1t1oal corporation and would be prohibited b7 the proYlaS011a ~ Seotloa 26(a) ot .4\rt!._ole VI ot the Oonat1tut1oo trona becom1os indebted 1n an amouot greater than the current Je&r'a reYenue, plus UDeaoumbered balaDoea trOftl prior ,.-ears exoe~ aa prcw1d8d. in the Constitution. l'he provlsloo ot Seotlon 26(a) ot Art1ole Yl at the Constitution readlng, -. • • exoept ae otherwise prOYlcled ln this oonatltu- tlon" ref'ers to other proY1a1ona ot Seotloa 26 o1' rtiole VI o~ the Con.tltutlon, vhloh authorize the lnourrlng or indebtedness 1n an &11lOUDt greater than the OUI'Z"ent Jear•a reTenue and unen- cumbered balances trom prior J'HrS b7 a two-thirds vote ot the electors in tha oount71 olty, 1noorporated town or Yillage, school diatr1ot or other polltloal corporation or subdivision vh.loh wishes to 1Dour the debt. Honorable Bill D. Burlison Section 182. 070 provides in part as tollowa a (Em.pbaals added. ) t1nder the provisions or such sect ion the county library district mar leaae or purobase grouads or buildings out of ourrent tunde 1 or MAY 1saue bonds ror such purposes under provisions ot Section 182.105. RS 'To. Current 1"unda are those voted by eleotora or tho oounty library district under pro- visions of Section 182.010 and 182 .100, R No . Beotlon 182.020 provides that taxes tor the levy a • . vri21od bY the voters under Seotioo 182.010 shall be disbursed by the county treaaurer onl7 on varranta of the oounty library board 1 and J ectioo 182.100 provides tbat building tues authorized by suoh section shllll be disbursed only by the county tre surer on warrants or the county library board. Seottons 182. 020, 182.100 and 182.10$ are the only sources of funds tor count,- libra:t7 boards to acquir•1 l a nds or buildings tor library purposes. If t he f unds raised f rom l evy under one ar suoh seot1on~ are 1nsut! 1c1ont t o t ln~nco building or the d1otr1ot •s part thereor, ddttional funds 11 be raised under any or such soct1ons. We construe your question nu:nbered three t o be whether the county library bonrd may purchase 1 ud either alone or a a tenant in oom."lon vtth other parties to the "Rog ional Libr ry" contract by signing promissory noto and g ivil'lg deod of tr~t on the real property. It is our view that the county library d1atr1ot board cannot execute a proa 1ssory note aod deed of trust t or land or tor a b\11ldill3 or t'ol" its sbaro or auch land or building to be used for l1br~J purposes. Section 182. 070, -4- Honorable Bill D. Burlison supra, sets forth the power ot a count7 llbracy board, and under such section the count)' librarr board can purchase land or building.a onlJ tr0111 current funds or trom moneys deriYed trom a bond issue and nay make paJment from current tunda only by warrant. We are unable to find anJ authority in the atatutel giYing a county librarr district bo~d power to exeoute a promissory note and a deed ot trust aeour1ng auoh note tor an7 purpose, and in the absence ot atatuto~r authoritr euoh board baa no power to do ao. The rule regarding the power ot public bodies is tersely stated ln Volume 67, C.J.s., 1107, p. 378, as tollovaa nThe powers and authority ot boards • commissions, and other pUblic bodies are usuallJ defined and limited b7 law. Boards, oomm1as1ona, and other public bodies haYe only such power and authority aa are expreaal7 ooDterred bJ l av or aa arise from neoesaar7 1mpl1cat1on, and anr power sought to be exercised must be tound within the tour corners of the statute under wbiob theJ proo e e4. • • •" You also inquire as to the right ot a oount7 librar1 district board to enter into a "lease purchase agreement • We assume that this i• a "lease purchase" proYiding ror payment over a number of tears of an amount greater than the preaent unenoUIUbered current funds". We are enclosing an opinion rendered under date o~ October 14. 1949, to Paxton Price, vhich answers this question. Section 182.10$ authorising 1eauanoe ot bonds by a couaty librarJ district baa been enacted alaoe auch opinion was written. but the holding in such opinion i• atill applicable iJ'laotar as a "leaae purobaae" contract is concerned. In Yiev of the aboYe holding, ve believe it is apparent that title should be taken as tenants in common to the real propert7 by the oount7 library d1atr1cta ¥bioh are signa- tories to the contract creating the "Regional Library" aad vb1oh distriota .do purchaae the real property in auoh proportion aa such county library d1atr1ota contribute to the purchase prloe ot a1.1eh real property. Yours very truly. TROl.fAS F . • OLETOJJ Attorner General