(1) A municipal county has the powers and duties of a county and shall fulfill the same role as other counties and county officials of the municipal county as would be applicable to a county of the same population as the municipal county. Any reference in law to counties shall be deemed to refer to a municipal county. A municipal county has the powers and duties of cities and villages as would be applicable to the largest municipality consolidated into the municipal county. Any reference in law to cities, villages, or municipalities shall be deemed to apply also to a municipal county.

(2) On the date of creation of a municipal county, all ordinances, bylaws, acts, motions, rules, resolutions, and proclamations enacted by the governing body of each county or municipality involved shall continue in full force and effect, with respect to the counties and municipalities consolidated into the municipal county, until amended, repealed, or otherwise superseded by the council of the municipal county. All obligations, leases, and contracts of the counties or municipalities consolidated into the municipal county, except for bonded indebtedness, shall become obligations, leases, and contracts of the municipal county. In the event any utility, lease, franchise, or service area agreement has been entered into by or is applicable to a county or municipality involved, the utility, lease, franchise, or service area agreement shall be unaffected by the creation of the municipal county and unchanged by the elimination of the municipal or county boundaries. In the event any service area or territory in which powers of a political subdivision could be exercised or boundaries of a political subdivision were previously defined by reference, in whole or in part, to the boundaries of a participating municipality or county, the boundaries of such service area or territory or political subdivision, and the exercise of the powers of the political subdivision, shall be unaffected by the creation of a municipal county and unchanged by the elimination of the municipal or county boundaries.