(a) The County Commission of Henry County is authorized to pay out of the general fund of the county the salaries of clerks for the tax collector and clerks for the tax assessor. Such clerks shall be appointed by the tax collector and tax assessor, respectively. The tax assessor, with the approval of the Henry County Commission, shall fix his or her clerks’ salaries and the tax collector, with the approval of the Henry County Commission, shall fix his or her clerks’ salaries; however, the total amount to be paid to the clerks in each office shall be fixed at not more than twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) per annum, total, and shall be paid as requested by the tax assessor and tax collector, with the approval of the Henry County Commission, to such clerks.
(b) The salaries, as above determined, shall be paid on a pro rata basis out of the monies collected each tax year into the general fund of the county, and thereafter paid from the fund to the clerks in equal installments. The pro rata share of the clerks’ salaries to be paid by each fund or agency receiving ad valorem taxes, shall be determined by computing the percentage of the total collections for which each fund or agency bears to the total collections of ad valorem taxes. The pro rata share of salaries each fund or agency shall pay during the first year after implementation of this section shall be based upon the collections made during the tax year next preceding October 1, 1983.