2023.10.100

from: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what_does_a_drain_commissioner_do While the drain commissioner is an often forgotten elected official, they are the one elected official in Michigan that can levy taxes and borrow money without a vote of the people or approval from the county commission or state legislature. This fact led former Shiawassee County Drain Commissioner Robert Tisch to say that the drain commissioner is more powerful than the governor. Historically, Michigan had a lot of land that was too wet for farming or building. Although wetlands have many benefits for wildlife and the environment, they are not ideal for construction or crops. Without a good drainage system, land could not be developed. Deciding which areas of a county were drained first, or drained at all, would financially benefit the property owners in those areas and could be a very politically charged decision. About 75 percent of Michigan’s original wetlands have been drained. The job of the drain commissioner is to oversee the county’s drains. In Michigan, this can be a natural or artificial creek or ditch or a pipeline for carrying storm water. The territory served by a specific drain, known as its watershed, is organized as a drainage district. It is in these districts that the commissioner levies tax assessments and directs construction or maintenance of drains and culverts. Most counties have many drainage districts. The authority to levy taxes comes from the Michigan Drain Code of 1956, which authorizes drain commissioners to assess the cost of drain work to land owners in the drainage district. In addition to levying taxes, the drain commissioner is also responsible for general management of drainage districts, including keeping historical, financial and easement records, requiring permits for activities affecting the drain, responding to service requests, and scheduling maintenance.

1830 Settlement, pioneer eraTransportation: highway and road infrastructureUtilities and public infrastructure

Winthers, Sally

Link to Drain Commission book scans

08/03/2023

03/24/2024