The board of supervisors of any county of the state which becomes a part of an air ambulance service district may levy a county-wide tax for the support and maintenance of the district in an amount not to exceed one (1) mill. Any county which desires to become a part of an air ambulance service district shall levy each year a tax of not less than one-half (½) mill on all taxable property of the county for the support and maintenance of the district or such county will not be qualified to become or remain a part of the district, with the exception that should any county desire to appropriate an equivalent sum from the general fund or other available funds of the county, as provided in Section 41-55-49, the levying of the tax shall not be mandatory.

Should the board of directors of any air ambulance service district determine that a tax levy of less than one-half (½) mill on the properties comprising the district would be sufficient to maintain and operate the district for the forthcoming fiscal year, such determination shall, by resolution, be spread upon the minutes of the board of directors, which resolution shall recite the amount of the tax levy which would suffice. A certified copy of such resolution shall be delivered to the clerk of the board of supervisors of the counties affected thereby. When so done, the board of supervisors of the counties comprising the district may for the forthcoming year levy a tax of no less than the amount of levy declared to be sufficient in such resolution without losing their qualification as members of the district.

Any tax levy made under the provisions of this section shall be used exclusively for the support and maintenance of the district and shall be made by the boards of supervisors at the time and in the manner that other county tax levies are made. The revenue provided by this section shall not, under any circumstances, be commingled with other county funds.