(1) The township board or boards mentioned in section 19, either on its or their own motion, or upon the filing of a petition signed by the record owners of not less than 10% of the number of parcels of land in the district to be lighted described in the petitions, may order the expenses for lighting the highways to be defrayed by a special assessment on all the taxable lands in the territory described in the petitions or the order of the township board. A petition under this section is not valid if a majority of the territory described in the petition was included in a petition filed under this section not more than 1 year earlier.

    (2) A part of the expenses may be paid by the township or townships at large and the balance assessed against the lands in the described district.

    (3) The township board or boards shall then estimate the cost and expense of the lighting system and fix a day, time, and place for a hearing on the question of creating a district and defraying the expenses of the district by special assessment. A notice stating the time, place, and purpose of the hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the district. If there is not a newspaper of general circulation in the district, then notices shall be posted in at least 3 of the most public places in the district. Notice shall be published or posted at least 5 days before the date of the hearing.