Unless otherwise provided in this act, the powers conferred upon public corporations by this act shall be exercised by their respective governing bodies and this act shall be construed as authorizing the issuance of bonds under this act without submitting the proposition for the approval of the proposition to the voters of the borrowers. Except in the case of refunding bonds or bonds issued to comply with an order of a court or an order or permit requirement of a state or federal agency of competent jurisdiction to prevent or limit pollution of the environment, the governing body shall publish a notice of intent to issue bonds. If within 45 days after the publication of the notice a petition, signed by not less than 10% or 15,000 of the registered electors, whichever is less, residing within the limits of the borrower, is filed with the clerk, or other recording officer, of the borrower, requesting a referendum upon the question of the issuance of the bonds, then the bonds shall not be issued until approved by the vote of a majority of the electors of the borrower qualified to vote and voting on the bonds at a general or special election. The notice shall be directed to the electors of the borrower, and, if the borrower is an authority, to the electors of its constituent public corporations, and shall be published in a newspaper which has general circulation in the territory of the borrower, and shall state the maximum amount of bonds to be issued, the purpose of the bonds, source of payment, right of referendum on the bonds, and other information the governing body determines necessary to adequately inform the electors of the nature of the issue. A special election called for this purpose shall not be included in a statutory or charter limitation as to the number of special elections to be called within a period of time. Signatures on the petition shall be verified by a person under oath, as the actual signatures of the persons whose names are signed to the petition, and the clerk, or other recording officer, of the borrower shall have the same power to reject signatures and petitions as city clerks pursuant to section 25 of Act No. 279 of the Public Acts of 1909, as amended, being section 117.25 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. The number of registered electors in any borrower shall be determined by the township or city registration books, or both, or if the borrower is a village, then by the village registration books. Section 5(g) of Act No. 279 of the Public Acts of 1909, as amended, being section 117.5 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, relative to notice of intention to issue bonds, shall not apply to the authorization of the issuance of bonds under this act.