### OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS
AUSTIN 

### / gp*u, 0. MAWN m-” .slmm4A

Hon. AndrewJ. Hiakey CWXty 

### Auditor Vfetorla

County Victoria

, Deer sirr

mahtenanoe ruxb ottex ddan a 

### non a brlUge,

18 ft the duty of the COUntP Or

tOhereis no mEtint8nana8 runa ror such 

### age district?". *The statutes

prwtd~ ror 

### tb elwe4.;ica of drainageco~~siwik~~ miele 8819, or lx

### Bon.

Um@ thereoftheir

### appolntmant by the coinmxs&cncr6' court hrtlole 88% Other pro- ~lalane replate the drainaceoo.xcIssionere tsm OS 0rri00, mi0it3 

### ~19, thir aa]nrfee.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 

### omipetant oivil 

### en&mr, who ehallmk~ the neoesearymapa, proilles, t"",$%i? i %?ft Is their 

### dut

for the l.mproveziontDeonto keep the OanalD a 

### tohem,

eta., in l-e

PA 

### They hatie &ancra I authority to aqt3nlee aid oontrol the oamtru;if& raiatennanos of them

work& l . They wy 

### oonstruot naoeseary

railwayand road oulvcrts. art& 01~8160 and 8161. t + * 

### 73e-s.) * (l.6?8% hr. pap*


### mtlole'8161, RevisedCivil Statutse 

### of Texas, read0 a8 tollown:

~heaopluiasl~aniareauthor~zad~d WQuiroa to bidlla 

### all neooesary&id&es and oulmrte aoroaband over all oanals,drains, ditohee,laterals



### and levseo

ooodm~otbd haremCer rhenorerthe mum orosa a aounty or pLbllo 

### mad, ml ohall payror sam out oi the drainage fUnAea The 

### tern aooxmi8sloner5aas used in Artiole 

### 6161 r8rcr6 

### to Craln~e 0omlesloaerD mentlocsO 

### in the premxlizq 

### srtloles or 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 

### tloal ~6 addnl8tmtlve sub& tialms or the ltdLy 0r the pelf
### t&ate ‘Wln~lu&Qag the goyerdng LvUY Or 

### a muaio~pallty, the board or alderzm or a tom or rlllage, f'resh-uatur eupp4 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** 

### g



### ht orway,andover 

### any eawl, lovea,ato , eta., to sdopt rsgulatlon8 $or the removal or obstruotlons

### rrca trldgce, amlto rogdate the tonnago 0r V8k101OS UOIn& brld@er * * l

Wider thle goneral pwer it is not to be doubted

### that a goneral dlsors'.lon 

### 1s meted 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 

### oltlzon or group 0r oitlzsnr O&Ii OOnpiaiIA Of &XII hOm3t ofrOX% t0 6XVOiciti the peer and duty 80 glvan. 'Rhers an irrigation 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 neostlsarp

repairs

and 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 main m alai or oauslafz

to be maintainedit pbll~roada 

### and bridmsr and 1s not 

### dlleved 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 dlatrlot to leoeor 

### rspedr hAdge8 over drainagetilstrlot &it0 "go 8.
You are rurthar rsspeottullya(hS.ned that it 

### la the opinion 

### ort!ila departmnt, that if the drainage dietriot 

### faila cc refusosid 

### this respect, than, ia that srent, 

### the oowtp 

### ehodb replaoe 

### or repair bridge8

on its publlo roads over oaid Cralna6editches.

### 98 99

Bon. ,admu J. 'ilokey, pa&O 4

You arc Surther resgeotftil the oountp cake8 the nooeseary ropa adolaedthed ii L (I or rsplaoeaante, the oountp map rcoover the mai 8xgeaCed f%om tho 4ralrm.q dlstrlot.

TI?Ustlne

that thl8 84tl8i4Ot~ily cn~?~lerl your inqufry, we 4r8

,jg&jqw JUL 29, 19%