(A) A court of appeals may select one of the counties in its district as its principal seat.

(B) The board of county commissioners of the county selected as the principal seat of a court of appeals shall provide and maintain the books, supplies, and facilities required to be provided under section 2501.18 of the Revised Code. The expenses of operating the court, including the cost of providing and maintaining books, supplies, and facilities, and including the compensation of one or more constables appointed pursuant to section 2701.07 of the Revised Code, shall be borne by all counties in the district. The share of such expenses required to be paid by each county shall be proportionate to the population of each such county compared with the total population of the district, according to the latest federal decennial census. The auditor of the county selected as the principal seat of a court of appeals shall, annually, calculate the share of the court's expenses owed by each of the other counties in the district, and shall issue his warrant for the proper amount to the treasurer of each such county. The share of each county shall be paid on such warrant into the treasury of the county selected as the principal seat of the court.

(C) If a court of appeals selects a county as its principal seat as provided in this section the other counties in the district shall not be required to provide separate books, supplies, and facilities for the court under section 2501.18 of the Revised Code. When the court in the interests of justice temporarily conducts business in the county other than the county constituting its principal seat, such other county shall provide the court with such facilities as it needs at the time for the proper conduct of its business.

(D) If a court of appeals does not select a county as its principal seat, the expenses of operating the court specified in section 2501.18 of the Revised Code shall be borne by all counties in the district. Each county shall pay a share of the expenses in an amount proportionate to the population of each county compared with the total population of the district, according to the latest federal decennial census. The auditor of each county shall annually submit a statement of expenses incurred pursuant to section 2501.18 of the Revised Code, or a statement that no such expenses were incurred, to the auditor of the most populous county in the district, who shall calculate, based on the total expenses incurred by the district, the proportionate share owed by each county in the district. For each county whose proportionate share of district expenses exceeds the expenses that county incurred, the auditor of the most populous county shall then issue an order for payment by the county of an amount equal to the difference between that county's proportionate share and the expenses that county incurred. The payments so ordered shall be paid to the credit of a special fund created for the purpose of this division in the treasury of the most populous county. From that fund, the auditor of the most populous county shall draw a warrant, payable to each county in the district that incurred expenses in excess of the county's proportionate share of the district expenses, in the amount by which those expenses exceed that proportionate share.

Effective Date: 09-29-1995 .