Whenever the term of office of a collector of taxes shall end, from whatever cause, his powers and authority shall cease and terminate and devolve upon his successor whenever he is elected or appointed. The selectmen shall cause an audit of his accounts to be made promptly and they shall make and commit to his successor new warrants directing him to collect the taxes therein committed to him. All books, records and papers of the outgoing collector shall be delivered to the selectmen by every person having possession thereof, and the selectmen shall deliver those needed for his work to the successor collector, and those not needed by the successor collector to the town clerk for care and preservation. The successor collector, whether appointed or elected, shall comply with all the requirements for a collector of taxes, and shall have full power and authority to perform all the acts and do all the things that his predecessor could have done had he remained in office, or that by law are given and granted to collectors of taxes.