If the board of county commissioners, on its own motion and order determine that it may be in the interest of Johnson county and the park district to enlarge said district to include the entire county, or if the board of county commissioners receives a petition from the park board requesting an enlargement of said district to include the entire county and stating that it is in the interest of said county and said district that such enlargement shall occur, then upon the entry of said order by the board of county commissioners or upon the filing of said petition by said park board, the board of county commissioners shall set a date for a hearing and direct the county clerk to publish a notice for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the district, the last publication to be at least five (5) days before the day fixed for the hearing, which notice shall set forth the boundary of the area proposed to be added to the park district as set forth in the petition and stating that a hearing will be held by the board of county commissioners on the day and hour fixed by the board of county commissioners. At the hearing the board of county commissioners shall determine whether it is in the interest of Johnson county and said park district for the district to be enlarged to include the entire county. If the board of county commissioners determines that it is in the interest of Johnson county and said park district for said district to be so enlarged it may adopt a resolution setting forth its findings and adding all that area theretofore located outside of said park district but within Johnson county to said park district. Thereafter all assessed tangible property within said county shall be subject to all tax levies of the district for maintenance, operation and improvements and for bond and interest maturities on future issues but shall not be liable nor subject to taxation for bonded indebtedness existing at the time such area is added. A copy of the resolution shall be filed with the county clerk and a copy shall be filed with the county treasurer.

In the event of enlargement of said park district under the provisions of this section, the resolution of enlargement shall not take effect if, within thirty (30) days of the last publication of notice of hearing on or before 5:00 o’clock p.m. of such day, a written petition of protest is filed with said county clerk containing the signatures of ten percent (10%) of the qualified voters residing within the area proposed to be added to said park district, based upon the total votes cast for the office of secretary of state at the last general election. If such protest petition is filed and the signatures are found to be genuine and the petition is found to be valid then the resolution of enlargement shall not take effect unless and until the proposition for enlargement has been submitted to the voters within the area proposed to be added to such district, either at a special election called for such purpose or at the next regular general election held within such area, as determined by the board of county commissioners. Such elections shall be conducted as now provided for elections in such counties. In the event a majority of the voters of such area vote against the enlargement, the resolution of enlargement shall be null and void. If no sufficient protest petition is filed or in the event a majority of the votes cast at such election are in favor of the enlargement, then such resolution shall take effect on the expiration of said thirty (30) days period or on such election approval, as the case may be.