164 LAWS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. 



foregoing act by the action of the joint board of commissioners of the 

 two or more counties adjoining said road. In such case the petition 

 therefor must be signed by twenty or more landholders from three or 

 more townships of each county interested in said improvement. Upon 

 such petition so signed being filed with the auditor of either county so 

 interested in said improvement, it shall be the duty of said auditor to 

 call a session of the joint boards of commissioners of said counties to 

 take action thereon ; and the said joint board shall have full jurisdiction 

 to so construct and improve said road under the provisions of said .act. 

 The expenses of said improvement shall be apportioned between the 

 counties interested therein [in] such proportion as may be deemed just 

 and equitable by said joint board of commissioners. And each of said 

 boards may issue and sell the bonds of their respective counties, as pro- 

 vided in section six of this act ; the said bonds to be issued for a sum suffi- 

 cient to pay the proportionate share of said costs allotted to each of said 

 counties. 



(4670-14) SEC. I. [Petition for improvement of roads; duties 

 of commissioners thereafter.] That when a majority of the resident 

 owners of any real estate lying and being within one mile of any public 

 road, shall present a petition to the county commissioners of any county 

 in the state of Ohio, asking for [the] grading and improving of any such 

 road, the board of county commissioners shall go upon the line of such 

 road described in such petition, and if in the opinion of the county 

 commissioners the public utility requires such road to be graded and 

 improved, the commissioners shall determine whether the improvement 

 shall be constructed of stone, gravel, or brick, any or all, and they shall 

 determine what part or parts of such road improvement shall be of 

 stone, gravel, or brick, any or all, and shall enter their determination 

 on their journal, and at the same time appoint an engineer to go upon 

 the line of such road and make such markings, gradient lines, plat and 

 profiles and estimates as such commissioners shall order in their entry 

 on their journal, and order that the improvement be made ; and at the 

 same time said commissioners shall order that a portion of the cost 

 and expense thereof, which shall not be less than one-half, nor more 

 than two-thirds, of the total cost and expense thereof, shall be paid 

 out of the proceeds of any levy or levies upon the grand duplicate of the 

 county assessed against [which] the taxable property of any township 

 or townships in which such road may be in whole or 'in part.' as author- 

 ized by section 5 of this act. And shall also order that the balance of 

 said cost and expense be assessed upon and collected from the owners 

 of the said real estate, and from the real estate benefitted thereby in 

 proportion to the benefit to be derived therefrom by said real estate as 

 determined by said commissioners. Said order shall also state the lands 

 which shall be subject to be assessed for the cost and expense of said 

 improvement, and whether the estimated assessment therefor shall be 

 made before the improvement is commenced, or after the same is com- 

 pleted. 



(4670-15) SEC. 2. [Appointment of engineer.] After making. 

 such order for an improvement, the commissioners shall appoint a com- 

 petent engineer to superintend the performance and completion of the 

 work, who shall, under the directions and with the approval of said com- 

 missioners prepare and file the necessary plans, plats, profiles and specifi- 

 cations of the work. 



[Contract to be let to lowest bidder.] After such plans and spec- 

 ifications as the commissioners deem necessary are adopted, the work 



