(a) On December 1 of each year, the county treasurer and the county governing authority shall together make an entry of all orders entitled to payment which were not so presented for payment and what orders not of equal dignity have been paid instead, in whole or in part, and what other orders are entitled to payment before such nonpresented orders. Persons holding such orders who present them without receiving payment before such day may have the treasurer annually mark thereon "Presented," the day of presentation, and that they were not paid for want of funds. Such county orders, when legally issued and duly presented, as provided in this Code section, and not paid for want of funds, shall bear interest at such rate as may be prescribed by the county governing authority, by resolution duly adopted and entered upon the minutes of the county governing authority, which rate of interest shall in no event be more than 7 percent per annum from date of entry of presentation and nonpayment for want of funds. The rate so fixed shall be plainly written or printed upon the face of the order. However, interest shall not be paid on such warrant or warrants after July 1 following the year in which they were presented unless the warrant or warrants are again presented and payment is refused for want of funds. The treasurer or keeper of county funds shall endorse on the warrant the words "Presented for payment; no funds on hand with which to pay same. This the ______ day of ______________, ____."

(b) Any county order issued by any county governing authority shall bear interest at the rate specified by resolution at the time of the issuance of the order, as provided in this Code section. The rate of interest which the warrant shall thereafter bear shall not be changed or affected by any subsequent resolution or change of rate of interest that may be adopted thereafter by the county governing authority; rather the warrant shall bear the rate of interest written or printed upon the face of the order and established by the county governing authority at the time of the issuance thereof.