If the United States declines to deal with a county commission with respect to any political subdivision whose jurisdictional limits are within or coextensive with the limits of the county, or in the event the jurisdictional limits of a political subdivision lie within more than one county, that political subdivision is authorized to make requests of the United States for such payments in lieu of taxes as the United States may agree to pay. Such political subdivision is hereby empowered to enter into agreements with the United States for the performance by the political subdivision of services for the benefit of a project and for the payment by the United States to the political subdivision, in one or more installments, of sums in lieu of taxes.