The counties that are members of the authority are hereby authorized and empowered to:
(1) Appropriate sufficient funds for the use of the authority amounts of money that their respective governing bodies, acting in their sole discretion, shall approve to be paid from the general fund of the respective county. County legislative bodies are empowered to levy and collect ad valorem taxes for such purposes, which are hereby declared to be for county public purposes; and
(2) Issue their bonds as provided in title 9, chapter 21, to obtain funds for the financing of public works by the authority pursuant to cooperative agreements with the authority.