Can the township board tell the highway commissioner what to do?
No. A township road district is, in many aspects, a separate government. Neither the township board of trustees nor the township supervisor has any jurisdiction, or authority, over the highway commissioner and/or employees of the road district. The employees of the road district are subject to the directions and requirements set forth by the highway commissioner, not the township board. However, it has been demonstrated clearly that where the highway commissioner, the supervisor, the clerk and the township board work in harmony, the taxpayer usually benefits.
