OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GROYER SELLERS 

Al-rORNEY GENERAL 

Honorable Oeorge U. Car, H. D. 

Stats flealth Offioer 

Texas Stat0 Bow4 of Re8lth 

Au8tl.n, Texas 

Dear Dr. Coxr opitioar m. O-6980 

we quote fFom youF lstter 0 

follovs~ 

Y%f8 DItpartrtm 

an axtansZve malu48 aamt 

Febexd fumla under the ln war Am88 

cowls&a of 

drdningandf 

MUtl'iCt8 0V.b 

in thl8 CMIUC 

DlatTZot Ilo. 

tcher tithln the dls88 h8ve 8een the baneflte 

o cooperat. furtbm,s vith 

p~oentbountirylims 

ch8mb8r cu cmrce 

entlm Ams. fa order th8t this 

cure the greata8t baneflt by vny of' 

2. Pmeedum to follow in enlarging 

drainqg DL8trlot no. @j by taking in ccmtiguoca ammo. 

“a. &30a the pl'88CUit draIna@ blf @Ve th8 

dlvrinage district suthority to rpend money on mosquito 
Hon. 040. u. Cox - Page 2 

control, int:lur!ing such itsma as draining of st8gnsnt waters, filling of otsgn8nt ponds, and application of lervfctdee or Lnmcticides. 

"3. Can -~ralnage funda be used for the 

pepsent of pereonnel to apply such laIVicld88 or Inaectlclden, and in the purchase al such equipment 

a8 is necearrry for mosquito control work. 

"4. If the drainage Qlatrlct does not have 

the authority to 8pend a portion of their funds fov 

lnsectlci*ea 8nd the paynwnt ot psrsomel to apply 

the InsactIcIdes end the purchase of equlpaent necessary for their Ippllcetion, vould you give ua the 

legal proce?ure nece88ory to include the80 pover8 ln 

the dMlMge di8t: Iot.R 

We fin* PO 8tatute empowerIng a clrairuge QIltCICt 

to enlame It8 boundwIe8,. mad In the absence of 8UCh legl8lative 

authorization, It 18 the opinion of this depart~nt that a 

~lralnege district c8mot be enlarged. 

The tOllOVlrrg UII&PliDel pOrtIOn Of 8tAtUt88 

bear Upcal yOUr DeCOnd and t.hiX’d qUe8tIOA8: 

&‘tiChJ &g8, &tlllM’S htlOt&ted cid.1 SktUte8, 

1925 - 

“A petition shall flrrt be pmaented to 

the Cowt signed by tventy-five of the freehold 

resident taxpayer In the propoeed 'llatrlct, or If 

there are lesa than teventj-five euoh citlaenr tbm 

by One-third thereOf, Who88 la.1&?8 may be arfected 

thereby, praying for the establlnhmnt of e drainage 

4lstrIct, em? uettlng forth the neceseltg, public 

utllite end feaslbillty and prOpO8ed boundaries 

them0r, and Aeslgnating a name for such district, 

which shall include the nana oi the county." 

Article 8101 - 

"On the day set for the hmrlng, any pemon 

whose lmxl would be tifected by the creation of said 

district may appear before said Court 8nd contest 

the creation oi such district or contend for ita cmation, and may ofPer testimony to show that the district 
I 

Hon. 080. W. C,OX - Pegs 3 

Is or Ie not nec4mmy, and would or woula not bo 

of Public utility. either afbnltery. 8grlcUturel or 

othervtse, aml that the crestlon of euch dlatrlct 

V0d.d or would not be fO88ibl4 or prectlcable," 

Article 81% - 

“At th nem tlm that tsxea mw levier1 to 

rset that bonrted lndebtednere, the Court shell cau8e 

to be assessed end collected tam8 upon all proDerty In tlw dlstrlot, vhether r4a1, mt’8olu1 or 

othmvlcte, suffiolent to selntain, keep In ropalr, 

and to prssmve the iaprOV~paSAt.8 in the aiteict. end 

to pay 811 legnl, jucrt end levful debts, dewsuds and 

Obligetlon8 sgtitnst such dI8triCt. Such levy aha 

nevar, In any one year, exceed one-h8lf of one per 

Cent Of the total 888eaMd V@lWtiW Of such dimtrict for such yem~. Such tsxea when 40 collected 

8b811 b4 placed In the canatructlon and maIntenanc4 

fund." 

YOUl’ SSCOnd 8lld third QW8tiOKlS tUl%l OZl the piVOt6d 

quasltion of vhether or not the 8pretkdim of lWVfCide8 8nd In84CtiCidea for MsqUitO CO&ItXWl com4B Vithin th4 purpoaea fOP 

vNch dMiMge di8tFlot8 are ~OXVNCI. 

In determining vhat are the plrpb848 for which 0 

dirine&e district Is fom88d. ve look to the expmss;Ion OX the 

bt~i8bltUFO en fOUAd Ill the fOP4gOing 8tEitUttl8. Article 8101 

ap8cifIoally rsntIQns sanitation 88 one O? the4 tXXKtitiOll8 that 

influenae th4 omation of a draInage di8triot. Ueb8t8r'8 ddfinition of "sanikry* is ee follows: 

"WnItary -- of or pertaining to health: 

fOl' ol' P4‘leting t0 th4 pP8~4i'Veti~ OF F48tolWtioX3 

of health; occupied vlth mee8ucoi~ or equ&pnsnt for 

improv3.q conditions that inflwnce bsalth; free 

fraa or effective innpreventIng or checking egenclar 

injurious to health. 

Under the ha8Mng of "Pu~0686" Of draiM&e dlotrlcte 

ve f'lnd in 15 Texea Jurbqmudence, pa8e 722, the follow atetementr 
851 

lion. oao. iv. COX - 2age 4 

wDralnaae dietriot+ are authoriaed and 

eoooure&ed in the Interest of nood hurrbandry, ot 

the public health, of the advanoosent of the 

general urbulldlnR of the oountrp, anti the resouina 

of wrote portione of leads aad their being oada 

to aerfo uuelul and profitable purp0806.* 

Aelferson County Drulnago Dlstrlot T. YoFmddIn, 

(oi~ii rppea3) 891 3.~. 3mt, ariirtm (00~. ~pp.) 

4 s. if. (i!) 33. 

Justl0e Roe8e of the Oalverton Court OS 

Girl1 Appeal8 In the dale of Umrton Oounty DraInago Diatxiot 

V'II. Htghee.149 9. Y. SSl,(Wrlt of Error refused by th 

Yuprolao court) r*ltlr 

wIt wIl1 be obmrrsd that romthlng elm 

alter& Into the queotloa or the or*ation or auoh 

dlstrlots tOan the bfmrlt to or e~aaoeaent or the 

value of the land8 In the biiWlt% The oouxt suet 

find that the drainage will 'be ooAdUoiV0 to the 

pub110 health or be II pilbllo benailt or utility', 

aa a prtmequlrltr t0 the or6atlon or the di6txlat. 

*i&astiOne of pub110 haalth aAd general 

pub110 bumlit and utility am to be oonrultcrd in 

tb~corratlon.of a. drainage amri0t. an& unqua~tlonably these arc) matter8 of (prwt ii&portaAoo.m 

Zt 1s a matter of common k~owla4$@ that 

drainage program require maay years of dsvelop~lent, and that 

on4 or the main purposes of a Qralnap 6IetrIoQ Ir to OOIDpletaly Qreln the dlatriot area of all standing water therrby 

Improving the lend and ellzinatlng hazarda to the pub110 

health. Fending the fulfillzient of theee objeotivob, the 

distrlot necaeaarily has to resort to t&aporary ~6aaure11 to 

alletlato uwhole6io5e oondltion8 in the U!%WoiOp4d areaa. 

These temporary maanuras address tkemelver~ to tka sound 

dlatsrstion of the draIaage ammlssionere in the dIatxlot. 

lf, in their discretion, the caxulesionara believe that the 

draining of stagnant waters, the rllllng or at&want r.ondr, 

and tt1.a esraadllig of larviaides end IussctioIdc8 should be 
as2 

BOA. OkO. %. 00X - Pa@I b 

perform6iQ a6 Itclaeital to the riaal oonrplstloa or the 

drainage program and la aid thareof,than 10 ooaolude #at 

an expenditure tor auoh pirposo~, Incl.udlng the necraaary 

~X~4A6tV3 or psrroncel and 0quIprn0at, w0ula b0 laWrt+. 

In rim or the foregoing Otatuteo and authQritIe8, 

it 18 thopopinioa 0r thir aepartmsnt that your rroone and 

thlrtl quebtionr rh0ula be answered ia the arrirm8tire. Thr 

dl.spoe3ltlonf these que8tlonr randOr unnOoO*rary en dmwer 

to your la8t question. 

Yours rexy txuly,