(1) The board of trustees of any junior college district is expressly authorized and empowered to make a thorough study and evaluation of the costs of operation of the junior college district, and said board shall recommend a fair and acceptable tax rate for district general support and maintenance from each of the member counties.

The board of trustees of any junior college district as constituted as of July 1, 1964, shall have the authority to recommend the tax levy necessary for a newly contributing county to have representation on the board of trustees of said junior college.

From and after October 1, 1989, no county shall levy less than (a) one (1) mill for the support, and (b) one (1) mill for the enlargement, improvement and repair of the junior college within the district of which the county is a member. From and after October 1, 1990, the board of trustees of any junior college district may, by a sixty percent (60%) affirmative vote of the members of such board, recommend an additional one (1) mill which may be used for the support or for the enlargement, improvement and repair of the junior college within the district of which the county is a member. If a county is levying more than the minimum levy required herein for one category but less than the minimum levy required for the other, then the excess millage under the one may be applied towards making up the deficiency which exists in the other. If a county contributes to two (2) junior college districts, the combined levy for both districts shall not be less than the minimums required herein.

Any county having any school district located therein with a current operating deficit of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) or more on July 1, 1989, shall not be required to levy the minimum millage required under this subsection (1) until such time as the said operating deficit is eliminated, or for a period of three (3) fiscal years, whichever is less. Provided, however, that no such county shall levy a smaller tax millage for capital improvements and general support of a junior college district than was levied for the previous year.

No county shall levy a smaller tax millage for capital improvements and general support of a junior college district than was levied for the previous year, unless requested to make such reduction by the board of trustees of the district. When a county has a general reassessment of property to increase the county ad valorem tax assessments, such county may reduce the millage for general support and capital improvements, provided that its aggregate budget for junior college purposes is not lower than was paid the previous year.

In lieu of taxation, the board of trustees may fix the amount of enrollee tuition in an amount commensurate with the per capita cost of operating the district.

(2) Taxes for the support, enlargement, improvement and repairs of junior colleges shall be levied annually against all of the property of each county and of each municipal separate school district, including added territory, which has established or may hereafter establish, or which has joined or may hereafter join, in the establishment or support of a junior college. In no case shall such levy exceed three (3) mills for support and three (3) mills for enlargement, improvement and repairs for each junior college within the district of which the county or municipal separate school district may be a component.

(3) The levy for support for any year in any given county or separate school district is that presently prevailing therein unless a change is recommended to the tax levying authorities by the board of trustees or by a vote of the people ascertained in an election called for that purpose by the tax levying authorities subsequent to the petition therefor signed by twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors.

(4) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the minimum millage required under subsection (1) shall not be levied by the board of supervisors of any county within a junior college district until the board of trustees of the district adopts annually, an order, by a sixty percent (60%) affirmative vote of the members of the board, that such minimum millage shall be levied by each county within the district.