Where any county issues or has heretofore issued its bonds under this chapter or any previous statutes of a similar character for protection of any highway, there shall be paid into the treasury of such county fifty per cent (50%) of any license taxes which would otherwise be paid into the state highway fund collected by the state in such county on motor vehicles or drivers thereof, and fifty per cent (50%) of any excise taxes levied and collected in such county by the state on gasoline which would otherwise be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the state highway fund, to meet the interest and annual sinking fund on such bonds. Such funds shall be applied toward the liquidation of the interest and sinking fund accruing annually on such bonds, the other fifty per cent (50%) to go into the state treasury to the credit of the state highway commission, and, if such taxes in any year should be insufficient to cover such interest and sinking fund, the deficiency therein shall be supplied out of any other such funds collected by the state in such county and allotted by law to such county for road purposes. Nothing herein shall be construed as a guarantee on the part of the state to pay the interest or principal on any bonds issued hereunder.

This section shall not apply to the tax collected from registration fees and the sale of automobile tags.

Of the surplus of such funds so paid into the treasuries of Harrison and Jackson Counties, the portions thereof hereinafter designated, to the extent necessary under the limitations hereinafter stated, shall be paid by Harrison and Jackson Counties to the state highway commission and shall be applied by said commission on the annual payments of principal of and interest on bonds to be issued by the state bond commission in an amount not to exceed seven million dollars ($7,000,000.00), for the construction, by the state highway commission, of a four-lane highway bridge across the Bay of Biloxi, to form a part of United States Highway No. 90, to the extent that two thirds of the total cost of principal and interest on such bonds shall be paid out of such surplus funds of Harrison County, and one third out of such surplus funds of Jackson County.

For the purpose of this section, such “surplus funds of Harrison County” shall be construed to be the amount paid to Harrison County under this section not pledged to the payment of principal and interest of bonds issued under this chapter, or any previous statutes of a similar character for the protection of any highway, and presently outstanding. “Surplus funds of Jackson County” shall be construed to be the amount paid to Jackson County under this section not pledged to the payment of principal and interest of bonds issued under this chapter, or any previous statutes of a similar character for the protection of any highway, and presently outstanding, and remaining after payment of principal and interest on bonds now issued or authorized by an election by Jackson County in connection with its Bayou Casotte development project under the authority of Senate Bill No. 1265, Extraordinary Session of 1954, as amended by Senate Bill No. 1624 enacted at the Regular 1958 Session of the Mississippi Legislature.

Annually, to the extent necessary to meet the annual requirements for the payment of principal of and interest on said bonds, Harrison County shall pay to the state highway commission not exceeding two thirds of its aforesaid annual surplus, as hereinabove defined; and, to the extent necessary and available, Jackson County shall annually pay to the state highway commission from such surplus funds an amount not exceeding one third of the annual requirements for bonds issued by the state bond commission, and such amounts as may be necessary to satisfy any deficiency in preceding annual payments required to be made under the provisions hereof.

Surplus funds remaining to both Harrison and Jackson Counties, after making the payments above directed, may be pledged, used, and expended in whole or part for the payment of the principal of and interest on bonds issued and to be issued under the authority of Sections 59-9-1 through 59-9-83; however, unless and until so pledged all or any part of such surplus now or hereafter accumulated may be transferred by the board of supervisors to a fund designated the county port fund and shall be subject to expenditure by the county port authority or county development commission for the purposes and objects authorized by said sections. All expenditures made by the county port authority or county development commission shall be audited by the county auditor, who shall annually report such expenditures to the board of supervisors.