Varney v. City of Albuquerque

55 P.2d 40, 40 N.M. 90
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 8, 1936
DocketNo. 4185.
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 55 P.2d 40 (Varney v. City of Albuquerque) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Varney v. City of Albuquerque, 55 P.2d 40, 40 N.M. 90 (N.M. 1936).

Opinion

BRICE, Justice.

This action was brought by appellant, a taxpayer of the city of Albuquerque, to enjoin that city from issuing or marketing certain bonds to obtain funds to build a civic auditorium. The case was heard upon bill and answer and judgment entered dismissing the bill, from which judgment an appeal has been taken to this court.

The following admitted facts are sufficient to determine the case:

The appellant is a resident taxpayer of the city of Albuquerque, N. M. On the 12th day of September, 1935, the appellee ■passed an ordinance submitting to the qualified voters of that city a proposal to issue 'bonds of the city to the amount of $222,-000, the proceeds to be used to construct a •civic auditorium. Thereafter the question was duly submitted at an election, at which there were cast 2,176 votes for the issuance -of such bonds and 1,175 votes against it. "The city of Albuquerque will issue and sell ■.such bonds notwithstanding the proposal failed to carry by a two-thirds majority of the qualified voters who voted at such elec-tion, unless restrained by the court.

It is claimed by appellant that such bonds •can be issued only under authority of section 90-2101 of the New Mexico Stats.Ann. ■Comp.1929, which requires that two-thirds •of the votes cast at an election shall favor their issuance. On the other hand, the appellee contends: First, a civic auditorium is a “needful building” within the fifth-■subdivision of section 90-402 or at least a '"public building” within the sixth sub•division of section 90-402,- and therefore bonds for obtaining funds to build it can "be issued if a majority of the legal votes cast favored it, and, second, that section ■90-2101 of the Statutes runs counter to section 12 of article 9 of the State Constitution, in that it provides for the approval of more than a 'majority of the qualified •electors voting on the question to authorize the bond issue in question.

1. Specific authority is given • cities, ■towns, and villages of over 5,000 inhabitants by section 90-2101, N.M.Stats.Ann., Comp.1929 (chapter 29, § 1, Session Laws 1927), to build civic auditoriums, and not limited to the building of such auditoriums in conjunction with the counties in which such municipalities are situated as appel-lee contends. The pertinent part -of the act is as follows: “90-2101. Cities of five thousand population may erect and improve public auditorium. That any incorporated city, town or village in this state having a population of at least five thousand shall have power to purchase, improve or erect public auditoriums or buildings of a similar nature for general civic purposes, or to authorize the improvement or erection of same by agreement with the officers of the county in which the municipality is located, and shall have power to issue and sell bonds for the purposes herein mentioned. Provided, * * * if two-thirds of all legal votes cast at a legal election therefor shall be in favor of the issuance of such bonds, it shall be the duty of the authorities of such city, town or village to have such bonds issued as soon as practicable.” i

The statute is otherwise full and complete within itself, providing for the issuance of the bonds, their form and conditions, the levying and collection of taxes to pay interest, and for redemption, etc.

The general authority to build public buildings under which appellee contends it is authorized to build the civic auditorium was a legislative act of 1884, now subdivisions fifth and sixth of section 90-402 N. M.Stats.Ann., Comp.1929, the< pertinent parts of which are as follows:

“Public buildings. Fifth. To erect all needful buildings for the use of the city or town.

“Borrowing money—Bond issue. Sixth. "To contract an indebtedness on behalf of the city, and upon the credit thereof, by borrowing money or issuing the bonds of the city or town for the following purposes, to-wit: For the purpose of erecting public buildings; * * * but no such debt shall be created, unless the question of incurring the same shall, at a regular election of officers for the city, be submitted to a vote of such qualified electors of the city or town as shall in the next preceding year have paid a property tax therein, and a majority of those voting upon the question, by ballot deposited in a separate ballot box, shall vote in favor of creating such debt.”

A statute enacted for the primary purpose of' dealing with a particular subject prescribing terms and conditions covering the subject-matter supersedes a general statute which does not refer to that subject although broad enough to cover it. This rule of construction is so well established that we content ourselves with citing a few of the cases at hand. Gardner v. School District, 34 Okl. 716, 126 P. 1018; Ulster County v. State, 177 N.Y. 189, 69 N.E. 370; People ex rel. Fore v. Mo. Pac. Ry. Co., 342 Ill. 226, 173 N.E. 816; Daniels v. State, 150 Ind. 348, 50 N. E. 74; City of Marshall v. State Bank of Marshall, 60 Tex.Civ.App. 508, 127 S.W. 1083; Thomas v. Evans, 73 Ohio St. 140, 76 N.E. 862; Gilkeson v. Mo. Pac. Ry. Co.,. 222 Mo. 173, 121 S.W. 138, 24 L.R.A.(N.S.) 844, 17 Ann.Cas. 763; Townsend v. Little et al., 109 U.S. 504, 3 S.Ct. 357, 27 L.Ed. 1012; Carolina-Tennessee Power Co. v. Hiawassee River Power Co., 171 N.C. 248, 88 S.E. 349.

Section 90-2101, supra, is such a statute. If appellee ever had authority under the general statute quoted to issue the bonds in question (and their ’ contention in> that respect is supported by eminent authority, Halbruegger v. City of St. Louis, 302 Mo. 573, 262 S.W. 379, and authorities therein cited), it no longer exists, because superseded by the later act (assuming for the moment it is constitutional).

2. If section 90-2101 of the statute from-which we have quoted does not run counter to section 12 of article 9 of the State Constitution, then the other questions presented, in the briefs of the parties become immaterial, otherwise they must be answered.. That section of the Constitution is as follows: “No city, town or village shall contract any debt except by an ordinance,, which shall be irrepealable until the indebtedness therein provided for shall have been, fully paid or discharged, and which shall-specify the purposes to which the funds to-be raised shall be applied, and which shall provide for the levy of a tax, not exceeding twelve mills on the dollar upon all taxable property within such city, town or village, sufficient to pay the interest on,, and to extinguish the principal of, such debt within fifty years. The proceeds of such tax shall be applied only to the payment of such interest and principal. No such debt shall be created unless the question of incurring the same shall, at a regular election for councilmen, aldermen or other officers of such city, town or village, have been submitted to a vote of such qualified electors thereof as have paid a property tax therein during the preceding year, and a majority of those voting on the question, by ballot deposited in a separate ballot box, shall have voted in favor of creating such debt.”

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Bluebook (online)
55 P.2d 40, 40 N.M. 90, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/varney-v-city-of-albuquerque-nm-1936.