For the purpose of providing monies for a working cash fund, the governing board of any park district may levy an annual tax, known as the “working cash fund tax”, for any 4 years only on all the taxable property of their district at a rate not to exceed .025% of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, to provide monies for the working cash fund. Prior to the levy and collection of such a tax, a park district shall adopt a resolution authorizing the levy and collection of the tax, and, within ten days after the adoption of such a resolution, it shall be published once in a newspaper published and having a general circulation in the park district, or, if there is no such newspaper, then in some newspaper having a general circulation in the county wherein such district or the greater or greatest portion in area of said district lies. The publication or posting of the resolution shall include a notice of (1) the specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting that the question of the adoption of the resolution be submitted to the electors of the district; (2) the time in which the petition must be filed; and (3) the date of the prospective referendum. The Secretary of the governing board of the park district shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one.
     If no valid petition is filed with the Secretary of the Board, as hereinafter provided in this Section, within 30 days after the publication of the resolution, the resolution shall be in effect. But, if within that 30 day period a petition is filed with the Secretary of the Board, signed by electors in the district numbering 10% or more of the number of registered voters in the district, asking that the question of levying and collecting such tax be submitted to the electors of the district, the board shall certify the proposition to the proper election officials for submission at the next election in accordance with the general election law. If a majority of electors voting upon the question voted in favor of the levy and collection of the tax provided for, such district shall be authorized and empowered to levy and collect such tax annually for any 4 years only, but if a majority of the electors voting upon the question are not in favor thereof, the resolution shall not take effect.
     The collection of a tax levied under this Section shall not be anticipated by the issuance of any warrants drawn against the tax. The tax shall be levied and collected, except as otherwise provided in this Section, in like manner as the general taxes of the district, shall be in addition to the maximum of all other taxes now or hereafter to be levied for park purposes, and may be levied by separate resolution by the last Tuesday in September in each year.
     No tax levied as provided under this Section shall be invalid by reason of the fact that any step required for such a levy under this Section was taken before October 1, 1976 if such required step was taken on or after August 12, 1976.