140 LAWS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. 



of the county not interested in any levee within the county, who shall 

 be known as the "county levee committee," and who shall hold office 

 for two years and until their successors are appointed, and in case of 

 a vacancy from any cause, the probate judge may fill such vacancy for 

 the unexpired term. 



[Organization; annual meeting.] Said committee shall elect one 

 of their number secretary and the oldest member thereof shall be presi- 

 dent, and said committee shall meet annually on the first Thursday of 

 May, at ten o'clock a. m., at the office of the county commissioners, which 

 meeting shall be a public meeting for all persons interested in any levee 

 within such county. 



[Record of proceedings.] And said committee shall keep a cor- 

 rect record of all their proceedings in a book to be provided for that 

 purpose. 



[Hearing by committee; levy according to benefits.] Said com- 

 mittee shall hear all persons interested in any levee, and shall determine 

 the amount of money that will be necessary to defray the expenses men- 

 tioned in section 4S99&, for each particular levee, for the period of one 

 year, and such amount so determined by said committee, shall be levied 

 and assessed, at such annual meeting or at an adjournment thereof, not 

 exceeding ten days thereafter, upon all the lands benefited by each par- 

 ticular levee, according to benefits to be determined by said committee. 



[Naming of levees.] And said committee shall give a name to 

 each particular levee, and shall certify the amount levied and assessed 

 upon each parcel of land, for each particular levee, to the county auditor 

 who shajl place the same upon the tax duplicate of the county against 

 said lands and the same shall be collected by the county treasurer as 

 other special assessments are required to be collected by law together 

 with all similar penalties, and when the same shall be collected the 

 same shall remain in the hands of the county treasurer in a fund to be 

 named the same as given by said committee to said levee, as aforesaid, 

 to be certified to the auditor upon certifying the first assessment under 

 this act. 



SEC. 4599</. [Contracts.] Said county committee is hereby au- 

 thorized upon a petition in writing signed by a majority of the persons 

 assessed for any levee, to enter into any and all necessary contracts for 

 the repair, operation, improvement and maintaining of any levee, pump, 

 elevator or flood-gate, which may be prayed for in said petition, and all 

 contracts so made by them shall not be "binding upon them personally, 

 but in their official capacity, and all of the same" shall be paid out of the 

 aforesaid funds from the county treasurer so levied and collected to 

 meet the same, upon the warrant of the county auditor stating the name 

 of the fund against which the warrant is drawn. 



[Committee to approve vouchers for money; what to contain.] 

 But before any such warrant shall be drawn by the county auditor, 

 said county committee shall first approve and allow a voucher therefor 

 which shall be signed by said committee or a majority thereof and filed 

 with said auditor, and said voucher shall state the name of the levee and 

 the fund out of which any claim is to be paid, and the warrant drawn 

 by the auditor shall be against the fund mentioned in such voucher, and 

 the auditor shall keep accounts of each levee fund with said treasurer 

 the same as in other cases. 



