(a) The state shall pay the salary and benefits of state district court judges created under this subchapter.

(b) (1) (A) Each county and town or city in a district in which a state district court judgeship is created under this subchapter shall pay to the state an amount equal to its proportionate share of one-half (1/2) of the base salary established by law for state fiscal year 2009 for that district's state district court judge.

(B) The proportionate share is calculated as follows:

(i)

(a) Determine the sum total of the base salary paid by each county and town or city in a district to that county and town or city's district court judge or city court judge for the calendar year immediately preceding the creation of the state district court judgeship; and

(b) Determine the proportion of the base salary of each county and town or city to the sum total base salary of the district; and

(ii) Each county and town or city shall pay to the state its proportionate share as determined in subdivision (b)(1)(B)(i)(a) of this section of one-half (1/2) of the base salary established by law for state fiscal year 2009 for each state district court judge in the district at the time the county and town or city had a state district court judgeship created.

(C) On a form provided by the Administration of Justice Funds Section of the Office of Administrative Services of the Department of Finance and Administration, each county and town or city in a district shall certify annually on or before October 31 the amount to be paid to the state for its share of one-half (1/2) of the salary as determined in this section for that district's state district court judge.

(2)

(A) This section does not prohibit a county and town or city in a district in which a state district court judgeship is created under this subchapter from agreeing in writing on the amount to be paid to the state by the county and the town or city for its proportionate share of one-half (1/2) of the salary as determined in this section for that district's state district court judge.

(B) If a written agreement is reached under subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section, the county and town or city shall submit on or before October 31 a copy of that written agreement to the Administration of Justice Funds Section.

(c) The amount of the state district court judge's salary initially paid by the county and the town or city in a district and annually afterwards shall be the amount determined under subsection (b) of this section.

(d)

(1) Beginning with its annual meeting of 2011, the quorum court in each county in a district in which a state district court judgeship is created under this subchapter and the council in each town or city in a district in which a state district court judgeship is created under this subchapter shall appropriate annually from its general revenues an amount sufficient to pay its share of the state district court judgeship salary allocated to it under subsection (b) of this section.

(2) The duty under subdivision (d)(1) of this section may be enforced in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(e) On or before December 15, 2011, and annually afterwards, the Administration of Justice Funds Section shall certify to the county and the town or city in each district the amount of its share of one-half (1/2) of the base salary established under subsection (b) of this section.

(f) On or before January 15, 2012, and annually afterwards, the county and the town or city shall remit to the Administration of Justice Funds Section for deposit into the Constitutional Officers Fund the sum necessary to fund its share of the base salary allocated to it under subsection (e) of this section.