OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS
AUSTIN /
gp*u,0.MAWN
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Hon. Andrew J. Hiakey
CWXty Auditor
VfetorlaCounty
Victoria,
Deer sirr
mahtenanoe ruxb
ottex ddan a
non a brlUge,
18 ft the duty of the COUntP Or
tOhereis no mEtint8nana8runa ror such
age district?".
*The statutesprwtd~ ror tb elwe4.;ica
of
drainage co~~siwik~~ miele 8819, or lx
Bon.
Um@ thereoftheir appolntmant
by the coin-
mxs&cncr6' court hrtlole 88% Other pro-
~lalane replate the drainace oo.xcIssionere
tsm OS 0rri00, mi0it3 ~19, thir aa]nr-
fee. U&O their oath of offloe, Artlele
8d, odoldl bon68,Artlolt8124anG their
organlzsticm, Mtlols 8123*
*It is the duty or the dralnage oomldr
olonors to appoint a omipetantoivil en&mr,
who ehallmk~ the neoeseary mapa, proilles,
for the l.mproveziontD
eon-
t"",$%i? %?ft Is their dut to keep the
OanalD aitohem,eta., in l-e PA They hatie
&ancraI authority to aqt3nlee aid oontrol
the oamtru;if& raiatennanosof them
wo r k & l . They wy oonstruot
naoesearyrailwayand road oulvcrts. art&
01~8160 and 8161. t + * * (l.6?8% hr. pap*
73e-s.)
mtlole'8161, RevisedCivil Statutse of Tex-
as, read0 a8 tollown:
~heaopluiasl~aniareauthor~zad~d
WQuiroa to bidlla all neooesary&id&es and
oulmrte aoroab and over all oanals, drains,
ditohee,lateralsand levseoooodm~otbd
haremCer rhenorerthe mum orosa a aounty
or pLbllo mad, ml ohallpay ror sam out
oi the drainage fUnAea
The tern aooxmi8sloner5a as used in Artiole
6161 r8rcr6 to Craln~e 0omlesloaerD mentlocsO in
the premxlizq srtlolesor the WIW chapter.
7 TBf* Jur., seotion7, p*p* 964-6-6,in P.rt,
roads as followar
The
lf&alatIWe hm ao~ferlwd the poW7'
to oonstmof briQo8 ~20n 0r the pelf-
tloal~6 addnl8tmtlve sub& ltdLy
tialms or the
t&ate ‘Wln~lu&Qag the goyerdng LvUY Or a
muaio~pallty, the board or alderzm or a
tom or rlllage, f'resh-uatureupp4 dlstriote,
18~80 lmp3vement alstriotr, water inprovo-
P di8trlot8, and tho ooml~slocerr oourt
0r a oounty*
'cpht~
oomis5loners oourt 1s authorized
to oonstrwt bridges aoross or under anf
railroad rl ht or way, and over any eawl,
lovea, ato g , eta., to sdopt rsgulatlon8
$or the removal or obstruotlons rrca trldgce,
amlto rogdate the tonnago 0r V8k101OS UO-
In& brld@er * * l
Wider th le g o ner a l pwer it is not to
be doubted that a goneral dlsors'.lon 1s met-
ed in the rembers of the oaaciisoimeis oourt
to btcridne w!xin an& where brl&&en 6hall be
oonetruotod in tholroounty, and ln ewh oam
no individual oltlzonor group 0r oitlzsnr
O&Ii OOnpiaiIA Of &XIIhOm3t ofrOX% t0 6XVOiciti
the peer and duty 80 glvan. 'Rhersan ir-
rigation oand oompaay upon whloh the ata%
uta lmpoeaa the duty to keep a bride In
rewir faila to Co ao, the oounty may a9Jm
the neostlsarprepairsand then reoover the
mm from the one UDO~ whom the duty reDted.
The oouxty is not in the msitlon ci a mere
volunteer. but hae tba PrimnrP duty of mainm
alai or oauslafzto be maintainedit
pbll~roada and bridmsr and 1s not dllev-
ed 0r 1tr duty to the sub110 by ths raot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~C~~~~~~
S.N. 943.
YOU are, therefore, rqs?eotiuUp advised that
it f# the OpiXiOn Of thiS &3part%;icnt
th%t it ir, th0
duty 0r the dralmgs dlatrlotto leoe or rspedr
hAdge8 over drainagetilstrlot&it0
"go 8.
You are rurthar rsspeottully a(hS.nedthat it
la the opinion ort!iladepartmnt, that if the drain-
age dietriot faila cc refusosid this respect, than,
ia that srent, the oowtp ehodb replaoe or repair
bridge8on its publlo roads over oaid Cralna6e ditches.
98
99
Bon. ,admu J. 'ilokey,pa&O 4
You arc Surther resgeotftil adolaedthed ii
the oountp cake8 the nooeseary ropa L (I or rsplaoe-
aante, the oountp map rcoover the mai 8xgeaCed f%om
tho 4ralrm.q dlstrlot.
TI?Ustlnethat thl8 84tl8i4Ot~ily cn~?~lerl
your inqufry, we 4r8
,jg&jqw JUL 29, 19%