All counties have the power to create county road improvement districts for the construction, installation, improvement, operation, and maintenance of street and road lighting systems for any county roads, and subject to the approval of the state department of transportation, for state highways, and for safeguards to protect the public from hazards of open canals, flumes, or ditches, and the counties have the power to levy and collect special assessments against the real property specially benefited thereby for the purpose of paying the whole or any part of the cost of the construction, installation, or improvement together with the expense of furnishing electric energy, maintenance, and operation.