The board of viewers of the project involved shall at the first meeting after the selection of a drainage engineer make provision for the compensation to be paid him, if any, and his necessary assistants and the members of the board of viewers together with their incidental expenses. The rate of pay to each member of the board of viewers shall not exceed five dollars per day.

When the lands proposed to be drained and created into a drainage district are located in two or more counties, the clerk of the circuit court of either county shall have and exercise the jurisdiction herein conferred, and the venue shall be in that county in which the petition is first filed.