OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS 

AUSTIN / 

gp*u, 0. MAWN 

m-” .slmm4A 

Hon. Andrew J. Hiakey 

CWXty Auditor 

Vfetorla County 

Victoria , 

Deer sirr 

mahtenanoe ruxb 

ottex ddan a 

non a brlUge, 

18 ft the duty of the COUntP Or 

tOhere is no mEtint8nana8 runa ror such 

age district?". 

*The statutes prwtd~ ror tb elwe4.;ica of 

drainage co~~siwik~~ miele 8819, or lx 
Bon. 

Um@ thereof their appolntmant by the coinmxs&cncr6' court hrtlole 88% Other pro- 

~lalane replate the drainace oo.xcIssionere 

tsm OS 0rri00, mi0it3 ~19, thir aa]nrfee. U&O their oath of offloe, Artlele 

8d, odoldl bon68,Artlolt 8124anG their 

organlzsticm, Mtlols 8123* 

*It is the duty or the dralnage oomldr 

olonors to appoint a omipetant oivil en&mr, 

who ehallmk~ the neoeseary mapa, proilles, 

t"",$%i? 

i 

%?ft Is their dut 

for the l.mproveziontD eonto 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 railway and road oulvcrts. art& 

01~8160 and 8161. t + * 

73e-s.) 

* (l.6?8% hr. pap* 

mtlole'8161, Revised Civil Statutse of Texas, read0 a8 tollown: 

~heaopluiasl~aniareauthor~zad~d 

WQuiroa to bidlla all neooesary &id&es and 

oulmrte aoroab and over all oanals, drains, 

ditohee, laterals and levseo ooodm~otbd 

haremCer rhenorerthe mum orosa a aounty 

or pLbllo mad, ml ohall pay ror sam out 

oi the drainage fUnAea 

The tern aooxmi8sloner5a as used in Artiole 

6161 r8rcr6 to Craln~e 0omlesloaerD mentlocsO in 

the premxlizq srtloles or the WIW chapter. 

7 TBf* Jur., seotion 7, 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& ltdLy tialms or the 

0r the pelft&ate ‘W ln~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 or way, and over 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 th le g o ner a l 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 tholr oounty, 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 leoe or rspedr 

hAdge8 over drainage tilstrlot &it0 "go 8. 

You are rurthar rsspeottully a(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 Cralna6e ditches. 
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%