(a) The Council shall have the power to make public improvements, including local improvements, within the city and, to the extent permitted by law, outside the city. The Council may determine the necessity for any public improvement, and may determine that the whole or any part of the cost thereof, including the cost of plans, specifications, administration, engineering, architectural, and legal expenses, and of the acquisition of property in connection therewith shall be levied by special assessments upon the property specially benefited thereby. When more than one lot or parcel of land is to be specially benefited, the project shall be considered as a special assessment district.

(b) Any special assessment for local improvement against property benefited shall be in proportion to, and shall not exceed, the value of the benefit received from the local improvements. The Council shall establish the method of apportioning such benefits.

(c) If protests as to the necessity of a local improvement are made by the owners of property which will bear fifty percent or more of the estimated cost of the improvement, the public improvement shall not proceed until the objections have been reduced to less than fifty percent, except upon the approval of at least five members of the Council.