(a) An associate judge is entitled to the compensation set by the appointing judge and approved by the commissioners court or commissioners courts of the counties in which the associate judge serves.
(b) If an associate judge serves in more than one county, the associate judge shall be paid a salary as determined by agreement of the commissioners courts of the counties in which the associate judge serves.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the compensation of the associate judge shall be paid by the county from the county general fund. The compensation must be paid in the same manner that the appointing judge’s salary is paid.
(d) On the recommendation of the statutory probate court judges in the county and subject to the approval of the county commissioners court, the county may pay all or part of the compensation of the associate judge from the excess contributions remitted to the county under § 25.00212 and deposited in the contributions fund created under § 25.00213.