Board of Commissioners v. State ex rel. Higgins
Board of Commissioners v. State ex rel. Higgins
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Of the many questions raised by the parties ih their briefs, we shall examine but a single one; we believe it is decisive of this case. It is, whether there was an acceptance by the county of Stafford of the building erected
In this connection, let us examine the powers and duties of the board of county commissioners and of the county clerk concerning the property of the county and the places of business or offices of the county officials, and also their official relations to each other. The statute provides, in relation to county commissioners, that the county board shall have power “to make such orders concerning the property belonging to the county as they may deem expedient; to have charge of the county buildings; and where there are no county buildings, to provide suitable rooms for county purposes,” and “to represent the county and have the care of the county property, and the management of the business and concerns of the county in all cases where no other provision is made by law.” (Comp. Laws of 1879, ch. 25, §16.) These provisions are plain and explicit, and -need no elucidation so far as this case is concerned. The county commissioners had charge of county property ; they had full freedom and power to hold their sessions wherever they saw fit, provided they were held at the county seat; they had the power to order the county clerk to come to them, they were not compelled to go to his office.
In relation to the duties of county clerk, it is provided that he shall attend the sessions of the county board of commis
“It is the duty of the county clerk to attend the sessions of the board of county commissioners, keep a record of their proceedings, sign the record, and attest the same with the county seal. He is merely a clerk in such cases for the board, having no supervisory control over and not responsible for their actions.”
In the agreed statement of facts, it is set forth that the board of county commissioners held its session in the county clerk’s office under protest. If it was to the county clerk, it would be a novel and incongruous act, for the county clerk was under the authority and direction of the county board: it would have been the protest of a superior to an inferior — a strange inconsistency, a contradiction of terms, a legal impossibility. This is a case where the actions of the county commissioners must govern, and are more important than the excuses they offer or any reasons they may give for their course of procedure. It is plain that if they occupied it as their place of meeting, it was an acceptance of the building as a court house. They also levied as a board, taxes to pay interest upon the bonds voted by the city of St. John, as provided by chapter 73, Laws of 1887.
This disposes of the case, and we recommend that the judgment be affirmed.
By the Court: It is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Board of Commissioners of Stafford County v. The State of Kansas, on the relation of C. H. Higgins, County Attorney
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published