Whenever landowners, owning not less than twenty-five per cent of the total acreage of the land in an irrigation district outside of the corporate limits of incorporated towns and cities, shall petition the governing authority of the district to call an election to submit to the property taxpayers therein qualified to vote, a proposition to authorize the incurring of debt and issuing of bonds for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, leasing, maintaining, and operating canals, locks, dams, reservoirs, storage basins, dikes, ditches, levees, flumes, machinery, and other works, or for the purchasing of works already constructed, in the district, the governing authority of the district shall call a special election for the purpose of obtaining the will of the property taxpayers qualified to vote in the district, in regard to the proposition to incur debt and issue bonds, as petitioned for as aforesaid.