Drain Commissioner
In Michigan, drain commissioners in county government are elected on the partisan ballot in presidential election years for a term of four years. A drain commissioner is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining surface water drainage systems under Public Act 40 of 1956 and is responsible under state statute for overseeing all the county’s drains including natural or artificial creek or ditch or a pipeline for carrying storm water and all new drain construction, maintenance of existing drains and the establishment of water management districts. Unlike other county-wide officeholders, drain commissioners were created by statute and are not mandated by the Michigan Constitution.