The mayor and board of aldermen or other governing authority of any municipality desiring to avail itself of the provisions of the City Utility Tax Law shall adopt an ordinance declaring its intention to have the utility tax imposed at the specified rate for the benefit of such municipality effective on and after a date fixed in the ordinance which must be at least thirty (30) days later and on the first day of a month. A certified copy of this ordinance shall be immediately forwarded to the Chairman of the State Tax Commission. The municipal authorities shall have a copy of the ordinance published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in at least one (1) newspaper published in the municipality and having a general circulation therein. The first publication shall be not less than twenty-eight (28) days prior to the levying date fixed in such ordinance, and the last publication shall be made not less than seven (7) days prior to such date. If no newspaper is published in the municipality, then notice shall be given by publishing the ordinance for the required time in some newspaper published in the same or an adjoining county having a general circulation in the municipality. A copy of the ordinance shall also be posted at three (3) public places in the municipality for a period of at least twenty-one (21) days during the time of its publication in a newspaper. The publication of the ordinance may be made as provided in Section 21-17-19. Proof of publication must also be furnished to the Chairman of the State Tax Commission.
If more than twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the municipality having no city utility tax shall file with the clerk of the municipality within twenty-one (21) days after adoption of the ordinance of intent to qualify for the collection of the tax, a petition requesting an election on the question of the levy of such tax, then and in that event such tax levy shall not be made unless authorized by a majority of the votes cast at an election to be called and held for that purpose. Notice of such election shall be given, the election shall be held and the result thereof determined in the manner provided in Title 21, Chapter 11, of the Mississippi Code of 1972. In the event of an election resulting in favor of the levy or where no election is required, the governing authorities shall adopt another ordinance qualifying for the collection of the tax provided in the City Utility Tax Law, and shall set the first of a month following the date of such adoption as the effective date of the tax levy. A certified copy of this ordinance together with the result of the election, if any, shall be immediately furnished the Chairman of the State Tax Commission. Upon receipt of the certified ordinance and other official notice from the municipality, the chairman shall notify the utilities in such municipality which are affected by the City Utility Tax Law, and take the necessary action to collect the tax. The first payment of the tax after its adoption shall be on all receipts of the utility derived from all billings made fifteen (15) days after the effective date of said adoption.