(1) The resolution creating a hospital authority shall designate the cities, villages, and townships to be included in the hospital authority and shall set forth the fact that a sum of money not to exceed the tax limitation provided in this act may be requested and certified by the hospital board annually for the purpose of planning, promoting, acquiring, constructing, improving, enlarging, extending, owning, maintaining, and operating 1 or more community hospitals, and that the sum or a portion of that sum shall first be pledged by the governing body of the hospital authority for the payment of bonds issued under this act. The resolution may provide that the hospital authority shall become operative upon adoption by a specified number, not less than 2, of the cities, villages, and townships. The resolution may fix a time within which the respective units shall act in order to be included in the hospital authority. The resolution may designate a date for the appointed representatives to convene.

    (2) A city, township, or village subsequently may become a member of a hospital authority formed under this act, upon resolution adopted by the governing body of the city, village, or township approved by a majority vote of its qualified electors and acceptance thereof by resolution adopted by a 2/3 vote of the entire governing board of the hospital authority.

    (3) Except as otherwise provided in section 9, a city, township, or village which becomes a member of the hospital authority, upon request and resolution of its governing body, duly accepted by a 2/3 majority vote of the entire governing board of the hospital authority, may be released from membership in the hospital authority. However, a city, township, or village shall not be released from membership in a hospital authority until all outstanding obligations of the hospital authority incurred after the time of the admission to membership of the city, township, or village and the part of prior obligations as may be agreed to by the hospital board and the governing body of the city, township, or village are paid, or adequate provisions are made for the payment of the obligations.

    (4) Actions and proceedings of a hospital authority relative to the addition of members to the hospital authority before December 14, 1973 are validated, ratified, and confirmed with like force and effect as though the actions and proceedings were fully authorized by statutes existing at the time.