In this subtitle the following words have the meaning indicated. “Director” means the director of the personnel merit system. “Employee” means a person who is employed in a position that is subject to the personnel merit system. “Personnel merit system” means the personnel merit system for the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, as created and provided for under this subtitle.

The personnel merit system for the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City is created to provide for and administer the hiring and the other employment policies, procedures, requirements, and programs, as provided in § 2-5A-07 of this subtitle.

There shall be a judicial personnel committee, with duties and powers as set forth in this subtitle. The judicial personnel committee consists of three members, as follows: The State Court Administrator; The administrative judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City; and The clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.

The personnel merit system shall be administered in accordance with this subtitle by the director of the personnel merit system. The director shall be appointed by the judges of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, on the recommendation of the judicial personnel committee. The judges of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, on the recommendation of the judicial personnel committee, may remove the director for cause.

All employees of the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City shall be employees of this State and, except as otherwise provided in this article or other provision of law for specific purposes, are subject to all of the benefits and responsibilities applicable to any other State employee generally.

The following positions shall be subject to the personnel merit system: Any position to which an appointment by a clerk of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City is authorized on or before June 30, 1982; Any position to which an appointment by a judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City is authorized on or before June 30, 1982, and that was assigned to any of the following: The civil assignment commissioner’s office; The jury commissioner’s office; The criminal assignment commissioner’s office; or The juvenile court clerk’s office; The six positions of deputy clerk of the proposed Circuit Court for Baltimore City that are created for the purpose of transferring the clerks of the several courts of the Supreme Bench to the office of the clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City; and Any position that is created or redesignated as a permanent position and assigned to the clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City after January 1, 1983. An employee in a position under subsection (a) of this section who is a member of the A, B, or C plan of the Baltimore City Employees Retirement System as of December 31, 1982, may, within 90 days after that date, make an irrevocable election to: Remain a member of the A, B, or C plan of the Baltimore City Employees Retirement System; or Become a member of the Employees’ Pension System of the State of Maryland. The State shall pay to Baltimore City, for those employees electing to remain in the City system, the necessary: Employer contribution; and Employee contribution withheld from the employees’ compensation by the State in accordance with City ordinance. For those employees electing to become members of the Employees’ Pension System of the State of Maryland, the transfer of employer and employee contributions shall be as provided in § 37-205 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article.

The Supreme Bench affirmative action policy that is in effect on January 1, 1983, and as amended from time to time by the judges of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, shall apply to the personnel system. The director of personnel shall adopt rules and regulations and establish policies necessary to administer the personnel merit system, including rules, regulations, and policies to: Specify rules of employment and the responsibilities of the employees; Establish a classification and compensation plan and provide for its maintenance; Provide for a job-related program of recruitment, examination, selection, and appointment; Provide for certification to the appointing authority of lists of candidates whose qualifications for employment have been determined by an appropriate job-related selection process; Provide for a job-related program of evaluation, reclassification, promotion, transfer, and demotion of employees; Establish guidelines for the discipline, supervision, termination of employees and for handling employee grievances; Develop guidelines for hiring part-time, temporary, and contractual employees; Establish policies governing use of leave and limitations of travel on court business; Develop training programs and tuition reimbursement policies; and Provide for any other guideline, procedure, or program necessary to carry out an equitable and efficient personnel system consistent with this subtitle and any other provision of law.