The provisions of this act shall apply to: (1) Any county having a population of more than 125,000 and less than 200,000 which has an assessed taxable tangible valuation of more than $400,000,000, in which the question of the adoption of the provisions of this act shall have been submitted to and shall have been approved by the qualified electors of the county in the manner provided herein, and in which the United States air force has or shall hereafter acquire, maintain, operate or control an air base, which air base has been or shall hereafter be declared surplus or is otherwise available for disposition by the United States or any of its agencies; and (2) to any city of the first class located in any such county. The population of any county to which this act applied prior to July 1, 1979, shall be determined by reference to the Kansas department of agriculture census, and any election held and authority created under this act prior to July 1, 1979, shall be governed by such census.

The board of county commissioners of any county to which this act applies shall direct the county election officer to place the question of the adoption of the provisions of this act on the ballot at the next general election following the effective date of this act. Notice of such election shall be given in the manner prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 10-120, and amendments thereto.

Upon the ballot the proposition shall be stated as follows:

“Shall the county of ____________________ (name of county) adopt the provisions of chapter 148 of the 1978 Session Laws of Kansas, providing for a city-county airport authority with ability to levy up to 1.85 mills county-wide to replace the current city airport authority with ability to levy up to 3.00 mills city wide?”

If a majority of the qualified electors voting on such proposition shall vote in favor of adopting the provisions of the act, a public airport authority shall thereupon have all of the powers, functions and duties prescribed by this act. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on such proposition are not in favor of adopting the provisions of this act, nothing in this act shall be deemed to prohibit the operation of an airport authority under the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 27-315 et seq., and amendments thereto.