**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN**  **GROYER**

**SELLERS Al-rORNEY** 

**GENERAL**

Honorable Oeorge U. Car, H. D. Stats flealthOffioer 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 ~lralnegedistrict 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 thatbonrted lndebtednere, the Court shell cau8e **to** be assessed end collected **tam8 upon**  all **pro** Derty In tlw dlstrlot, **vhether** r4a1, mt’8olu1 **or** othmvlcte, 

### suffiolentto selntain, keep In ropalr, 

### and to prssmve the **iaprOV~paSAt.8** 

### in the aiteict. end to pay 811 legnl, jucrtend 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&edistrict Is fom88d. ve look to the expmss;Ion OX the **bt~i8bltUFO** en fOUAd Illthe 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'lndin 

### 15 Texea Jurbqmudence, pa8e 722, the follow atetementr

# 851

lion. oao. iv. COX

- 2age4

wDralnaaedietriot+are authoriaedand eoooure&edin 

### the Interestof nood hurrbandry, ot the publichealth,of the advanoosentof the generalurbulldlnRof the oountrp,anti the **resouina** 

### of wrote portioneof leadsaad theirbeing oada to aerfouueluland profitablepurp0806.* AelfersonCounty 

### DrulnagoDlstrlotT. YoFmddIn, (oi~iirppea3) 891 3.~. 3mt, ariirtm (00~.~pp.) 4 s. if. (i!)33.

Justl0e Roe8e 

### of the Oalverton Court OS 

### Girl1Appeal8 

### In the dale of Umrton OountyDraInago Diatxiot 

### V'II. Htghee.1499. Y. SSl,(Wrltof Error refused 

### by th 

### Yuprolao

court)r*ltlr

wIt wIl1 be obmrrsd that romthlng elm alter& Into the 

### queotloaor the or*ation

## or auoh 

### dlstrlotstOan 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&astiOneof pub110haalth 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 OOID

### pletalyQreln the dlatriotarea of all standingwater 

### therrby Improvingthe lend and ellzinatlng hazarda to 

### the pub110 health. Fending the 

### fulfillzient of theee objeotivob,the 

### distrlotnecaeaarily has to resort to 

### t&aporary~6aaure11 to alletlato 

## uwhole6io5e oondltion8in the U!%WoiOp4d areaa. 

### These temporary

maanurasaddress 

### tkemelver~to tka sound dlatsrstion

of the draIaageammlssionere in the dIatxlot. lf, in their 

### discretion,the caxulesionara believe that the drainingof stagnantwaters, the 

### rllllng 

### or at&want r.ondr, 

### and tt1.a 

### esraadllig

of larviaidesend IussctioIdc8shouldbe

## as2



## BOA. OkO. %.00X- Pa@Ib

perform6iQ

a6 Itclaeitalto the riaal oonrplstloa 

## or the drainageprogramand la aid thareof,than10 ooaolude#at an expendituretor auoh pirposo~,Incl.udlng the necraaary ~X~4A6tV3

or 

### psrronceland 0quIprn0at, 

## w0ula b0 laWrt+.



### In rim or the foregoingOtatuteoand authQritIe8, it 18 thopopinioa



## 0r thir aepartmsntthat your rroone and thlrtl 

### quebtionr 

## rh0ulabe 

### answered

## ia the arrirm8tire. Thr dl.spoe3ltlon

f theseque8tlonrrandOr unnOoO*raryen dmwer to your 

### la8t question.

Yours rexy txuly,