A county or 2 or more contiguous counties, after approval of the state department of social services, may combine together to construct and operate regional facilities for the diagnosis and custody of minors detained under section 14, 15, or 16 of chapter XIIA of Act No. 288 of the Public Acts of 1939, as amended, being sections 712A.14, 712A.15, and 712A.16 of the Michigan Compiled Laws or under section 27a of chapter IV of the code of criminal procedure, Act No. 175 of the Public Acts of 1927, being section 764.27a of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

     The county board of commissioners of any county or any contiguous counties, by resolution, may authorize the chief judge of the circuit court in the county or in the contiguous counties to request the family independence agency to survey the situation and determine the need for a detention home in the area, or whenever chief judge of the circuit court in a county is requested, in writing, by 1% but not less than 25 electors of the county to initiate proceedings for the organization of the district for the operation of a regional detention home. In either event the chief judge shall be authorized to refer the question to the family independence agency for its recommendations and approval relative to all of the following:

    (a) The size of the district or number of counties to be served.

    (b) The size and type of buildings to be erected.

    (c) The facilities and operating program to be provided in the home.

     A regional facility created under this act shall be governed by a board of trustees which shall be a body corporate with powers to buy, sell, and dispose of property, real and personal, to erect and maintain buildings and facilities, and to employ all necessary personnel. The board of trustees shall consist of a judge of the family division of the circuit court in each judicial circuit that includes a participating county, 1 member appointed by the county board of commissioners from each of the participating counties, and 1 member appointed from the electors residing in each of the participating counties by the other members of the board of trustees. The board of trustees has the authority to adopt mutually agreeable procedures, rules, and regulations as to administration, financial support, and other necessary regulations. The board of trustees may accept on behalf of, and for the use of, the body corporate any gifts, grants, or bequests given or devised to the facility.

     The board of trustees of the recommended district shall have the authority to submit the question to the voters of 1 or more contiguous counties, consisting of the counties comprising the recommended district, at any state general election or county-wide primary election, as to whether the regional juvenile detention home district should be created and the voters of the district shall be given the opportunity to vote “yes” or “no” on the approval of the district.

     The board of trustees of the district may levy upon the approval of the electors of the district for the purposes heretofore specified, a tax of not more than 1 mill upon each dollar of the state equalized value of the property in each of the counties comprising the regional juvenile detention home area and, from time to time, may submit to the electors of the district at any state general election or county-wide primary election the question of additional assessment or tax for the operation of such homes.

     Capital outlay and construction costs of facilities of such regional facility shall be borne by the counties comprising the region in the following manner:

    (a) Fifty percent of the estimated cost shall be borne by apportioning among the participating counties a percentage of the cost according to the proportion of the county's state equalized valuation bears to the total state equalized valuation of the district.

    (b) Fifty percent of the estimated cost shall be apportioned among the participating counties according to the proportion the individual county's school census bears to the total school census of the participating counties.

     Basic operating costs of such regional facilities, consisting of maintenance, repairs and custodial personnel and amortization of the capital investment shall be borne by participating counties in the same manner as provided in section 6 for capital outlay. All remaining operating expenses of such facilities shall be borne by establishing a per diem cost per child which shall be charged to participating counties according to their child day use of the facility.

     The board of trustees of any district is authorized to enter into contracts with nonparticipating counties to provide services for the detention and custody of children committed from such counties at a per diem cost established by the board.

     The state department of social welfare shall supervise and inspect local and regional facilities and places of detention for juveniles for the purpose of obtaining facts in a manner pertaining to the usefulness and proper management of such facilities, and in promoting proper, efficient and humane administration thereof, and shall promulgate rules and standards with relation thereto. Any reasonable order with respect to such facility may be enforced through mandamus or injunction by the circuit court of the county where the facility is located, through proper proceedings instituted by the attorney general on behalf of the department. Any superintendent or employee of any facility subject to inspection under the provisions of this act, who shall refuse to admit any duly authorized representative of the department of social welfare for the purpose of visitation and inspection, or who shall refuse or neglect to furnish the information required by the said department, or its duly authorized representative, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. The superintendent and staff of each place of detention for juveniles shall keep such records with respect to the operation of such place of detention as shall be prescribed by the department of social welfare.

     Section 16a of chapter 12A of Act No. 288 of the Public Acts of 1939, being section 712A.16a of the Compiled Laws of 1948, is hereby repealed.