ANNUAL REPORT TO DISTRICT CLERK BY OFFICER ON FEE BASIS WHO COLLECTS FEES OR COMMISSIONS; REMOVAL

(a) If a county officer is compensated on a fee basis, the officer shall file an annual report in triplicate with the district court of the county. The report must be filed on or before the first day of the second month of the fiscal year, must be on a form prescribed by the comptroller, and must show: (1) the amount of the fees, commissions, and compensation that the officer earned during the preceding fiscal year; (2) the amount of the fees, commissions, and compensation that the officer collected during that year; and (3) an itemized statement of the fees, commissions, and compensation that the officer earned but did not collect during that year, with the name of the party owing each item. (b) Within 30 days after the date on which the officer files the report, the clerk of the district court shall forward a copy of the report to the comptroller and the county auditor. If the county does not have a county auditor, the clerk shall forward a copy of the report to the commissioners court. (c) A county tax assessor-collector who files the report with the district clerk shall also file a copy of the report with the comptroller of public accounts at the time of settlement with the comptroller. (d) An officer who fails to file the report in the time prescribed by Subsection (a) is liable for a penalty of $25 for each day after the deadline that the report remains unfiled and is subject to removal from office. The county may recover the penalty in a suit brought for that purpose. (e) An officer shall make a final settlement before the deadline for filing the report. An officer who serves only part of the fiscal year shall file the report and make a final settlement for the part of the year that the officer served, and the officer is entitled to the part of the officer's compensation proportionate to the part of the year served.