Case Information
*1 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. tithln the dls-
tcher 88 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 follow in enlarging drainqg DL8trlot no. @j by taking in ccmtiguoca ammo. blf @Ve th8 “a. &30a the pl'88CUit draIna@ to rpend money on mosquito dlvrinage district suthority *2 Hon. 040. u. Cox - Page 2
control, int:lur!ing such itsma as draining of st8g- nsnt waters, filling of otsgn8nt ponds, and appli- cation of lervfctdee or Lnmcticides.
"3. Can -~ralnage funda be used for the pepsent of pereonnel to apply such laIVicld88 or In- aectlclden, 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 paynwnt ot psrsomel to apply InsactIcIdes end the purchase of equlpaent ne- cessary for their Ippllcetion, vould you give ua the legal proce?ure nece88ory to include the80 pover8 ln the dMlMge di8t: Iot.R empowerIng a clrairuge QIltCICt We fin* PO 8tatute to enlame It8 boundwIe8,. mad In the absence of 8UCh legl8lative authorization, It 18 opinion of this depart~nt that a ~lralnege district c8mot be enlarged. The tOllOVlrrg pOrtIOn Of 8tAtUt88 UII&PliDel
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 cma- tion, and may ofPer testimony to show that the district *3 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 or would not be fO88ibl4 or prectlcable," V0d.d
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 pro- Derty In tlw dlstrlot, vhether r4a1, mt’8olu1 or othmvlcte, suffiolent to selntain, keep In ropalr, and to prssmve 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 dim- trict 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 of vhether or not 8pretkdim of lWVfCide8 8nd In-
quasltion 84CtiCidea for MsqUitO CO&ItXWl com4B Vithin th4 purpoaea fOP vNch dMiMge di8tFlot8 are ~OXVNCI. for which 0
In determining vhat are the plrpb848 dirine&e district Is fom88d. ve look to the expmss;Ion OX the en fOUAd Ill the fOP4gOing 8tEitUttl8. Article 8101 bt~i8bltUFO ap8cifIoally rsntIQns sanitation 88 one O? that the4 tXXKtitiOll8 influenae th4 omation of a draInage di8triot. Ueb8t8r'8 ddfi- nition of "sanikry* is ee follows:
"WnItary -- of or pertaining 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 ha8Mng of "Pu~0686" Of draiM&e dlotrlcte
ve f'lnd in 15 Texea Jurbqmudence, pa8e 722, the follow atete- mentr
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~tlon- ably 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 main purposes of a Qralnap 6IetrIoQ Ir to OOID- pletaly Qreln the dlatriot area of all standing water therrby Improving the lend and ellzinatlng hazarda to the pub110 fulfillzient of theee objeotivob, the health. Fending distrlot necaeaarily has to resort 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 or at&want r.ondr, draining of stagnant waters, rllllng 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 rh0ula be answered ia the arrirm8tire. Thr quebtionr thlrtl dl.spoe3ltlon of these que8tlonr randOr unnOoO*rary en dmwer to your la8t question.
Yours rexy txuly,