State Ex Rel. Ellis v. Blakemore

157 N.E. 380, 116 Ohio St. 650, 116 Ohio St. (N.S.) 650, 5 Ohio Law. Abs. 365, 1927 Ohio LEXIS 289
Ohio Supreme Court·Decided June 1, 1927·No. 20457·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Matthias, J.

The real question in this case is whether the proposed improvement is one of which the city planning commission, either by virtue of the charter of the city of Cincinnati or the provi *655 sions of Section 4366-2, General Code, has any jurisdiction, or one with reference to which it has any duty to perform. The refusal of the mayor and the clerk to authenticate the ordinance in question is based upon the claim that a two-thirds instead of a majority vote is necessary because of the adverse report of the city planning commission. If the planning commission had any authority to act in this matter and its report had any validity, then the refusal of the officials was right, but if this improvement is one with which the city planning commission had nothing to do, then the refusal of the officers to act in the respect stated was wrong, and such action being the refusal to perform a duty especially enjoined by law may be enforced by mandamus.

The improvement which is the basis of the controversy in this case has been undertaken by the county commissioners of Hamilton county, under and by virtue of the provisions of Section 6949 of the General Code. That section authorizes the board of county commissioners to construct a proposed road improvement into, within, or through a municipality when the consent of the council of said municipality has been fi«st obtained, and provides that “such consent shall be evidenced by the proper legislation of the council of said municipality entered upon its record*1.” It is further provided thereby that the council may assume and pay such portion of the costs pnd expenses of that part of the proposed improvement within said municipality as may be agreed upon between the board of county commissioners and the council. The portion of the section which is particularly pertinent in the *656 consideration and decision of the issue here presented is as follows:

^‘If no part of the cost and expense of the proposed improvement is assumed by the municipality, no action on ■ the part of the municipality, other than the giving of the consent above referred to, shall be necessary; and in such event all other proceedings in connection with said improvement shall be conducted in the same manner as though the improvement were situated wholly without a municipality.”

The contention of counsel for the relator, that the ordinance of the city of Cincinnati giving the consent of the municipality to the erection of the Eighth street viaduct under the proposed plans which received the affirmative vote of a majority of the council was thereby passed, and consequently should be authenticated by the presiding officer and clerk of the council, and recorded by the latter, is based upon the claim that the construction of the proposed viaduct by the county commissioners with state aid, under and by virtue of statutory authority, is an improvement of state-wide concern, the same being made by the state through its agency, the county commissioners, and that, therefore, the municipal authorities have no jurisdiction of or control over such improvement; and this is urged particularly in view of the fact that no part of the costs and expenses of the proposed improvement is to be assumed by the municipality.

It is to be observed that the position thus taken by counsel for the relator is based upon the view that the county commissioners are authorized to construct this viaduct as a road improvement into, *657 within, or through a municipality. The sovereign power of the state of Ohio over its highways is not in question here. Surely that power cannot be seriously questioned. Pursuant to that power the Legislature has provided by Section 1189-1 of the General Code that:

“The road now known as intercounty highway No. 7, extending along the Ohio river * * * through the municipalities of Cincinnati [and then reciting names of municipalities to and including Gallipolis], in the state of Ohio, is hereby declared to be a main market road to be known and designated as the Atlantic and Pacific Highway.”

It is agreed that this highway is “one of the great transcontinental highways of the United States, extending from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific coast,” and that this Eighth street viaduct is a portion of that highway. Under and by virtue of the provisions of Section 1189, General Code, the street of which the proposed viaduct is a part is “deemed to be a state road within the meaning and for the purposes of Section 7557 of the General Code.” The latter section, as does also Section 2421, General Code, requires the county commissioners to construct and keep in repair all necessary bridges on all state and county roads of general and public utility running into or through such village or city. Interurban Ry. & Terminal Co. v. City of Cincinnati, 94 Ohio St., 269, 114 N. E., 258; State, ex rel. Bushnell, Trustee, v. Board of County Commrs. of Cuyahoga County, 107 Ohio St., 465, 140 N. E., 81. Authority is thereby conferred to construct a viaduct or high level bridge. State, ex rel. Howell, v. Eirick, 84 Ohio St., 503, 95 N. E., 1156.

*658 By the provisions of Section 1226, General Code, the term “highway” includes a bridge which forms a part of a road authorized by law. Under and by virtue of Section 1184, General Code, the director of highways and public works of the state has general supervision of the construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of all intercounty highways and main market roads and all bridges and culverts thereon. He is required to aid and advise the county commissioners in the construction and improvement of such highways and to approve the design, construction, maintenance, and repair of all bridges or other improvements on intercounty or main market roads, and to cause plans, etc., therefor, to be prepared when requested by the authorities having charge thereof.

The construction of this viaduct as a part of such highway being therefore an improvement of general concern, under proceedings, by the state through its duly designated and authorized agencies, cannot be affected in any manner by any action or proceeding of municipal authorities further than clearly and expressly delegated.

It is contended by counsel for the respondents that the provisions of both the charter of the city of Gincinnati and of Section 4366-2, General Code, require that the plans for the construction of said viaduct must be submitted to and receive the approval of the city planning commission, or, in the event of its disapproval, must have the favorable ■action of not less than two-thirds of the members of the council.

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State Ex Rel. Ellis v. Blakemore, 157 N.E. 380, 116 Ohio St. 650, 116 Ohio St. (N.S.) 650, 5 Ohio Law. Abs. 365, 1927 Ohio LEXIS 289 (Ohio 1927).

157 N.E. 380 (State Ex Rel. Ellis v. Blakemore) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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