The board of supervisors of any county bordering on the Gulf of Mexico having a population according to the 1970 census of 134,582 persons, and having two cities located therein each having a population of over 30,000 persons according to the 1970 census, and in which is located a deep water port of entry and two military establishments located therein, is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to levy an additional ad valorem tax not to exceed one (1) mill to provide funds for the construction of a facility to house a county-wide vocational and technical educational center. Such additional levy may be in excess of and in addition to the rate of taxation otherwise limited by law.

The tax herein authorized shall not be levied until the board of supervisors shall have published notice of its intention to levy same. Said notice shall be published once each week for three (3) weeks in some newspaper having a general circulation in such county, but not less than twenty-one (21) days, nor more than sixty (60) days, intervening between the time of the first notice and the meeting at which said board proposes to levy such tax. If, within the time of giving notice, twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of the county shall protest or file a petition against the levy of such tax, then such tax shall not be levied unless authorized by a three-fifths (⅗) majority of the qualified electors of such county voting at an election to be called and held for that purpose.