The governing authorities of any two or more municipalities may, in their discretion, contract to create a consolidated fire district, which shall consist of the whole, or a part, of the territory of such municipalities joining therein. Such contract entered into by the governing authorities of such municipalities shall embrace all of the essential terms, and shall state the amount to be contributed by each participating municipality, and the control and operation of same. An ordinance containing the contract as to control of equipment, supervision of the district, and the amount of money to be contributed by each municipality, shall be passed by the governing authorities of all participating municipalities in the same form and substance. Such ordinance shall be duly published as now required by law, and shall go into effect unless twenty per cent of the qualified electors of one of the participating municipalities shall petition against same and file said petition with the proper clerk on or before the next regular meeting of said governing authorities, to be held not less than fifteen days thereafter. If such petition be duly filed, said governing authorities may either cancel said prior ordinance or order an election on said question. Said ordinance shall go into effect immediately if a majority of the qualified electors voting in said election vote therefor; otherwise, said ordinance shall remain void and of no effect, and no like ordinance shall be passed within four years thereafter.

Such consolidated fire district shall be given a name, and the supervision of protecting said district shall be vested in the governing authorities of the municipality decided upon and stated in the ordinance creating the consolidated fire district. The governing authorities of the municipalities in a consolidated fire district created under the provisions of this section shall have the same powers and duties as the governing authorities in any other fire district.