There is hereby established in any county having a population of more than one hundred thousand (100,000) and not more than one hundred sixty thousand (160,000) and any county having a population of more than three hundred thousand (300,000) a personnel advisory board to consist of the following members: (1) The county auditor; (2) the county engineer; (3) the director of the county hospital; (4) a representative of the district court to be appointed by the board of county commissioners; and (5) any other elected county officer, or representative of such office, to be appointed by the board of county commissioners. Within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act, said advisory board shall submit to the board of county commissioners of such county three (3) nominations for the office of personnel officer for such county, which office is hereby created. Within thirty (30) days thereafter, said board of county commissioners shall appoint one of such nominees as county personnel officer who shall serve at the pleasure of said board of county commissioners.

As soon as practicable after his or her appointment, said personnel officer shall establish, with the advice and recommendations of said advisory board, a comprehensive county employee job classification and merit rating system. It shall be the purpose of such system to establish minimum qualifications for all positions and job classifications specified in such system, but nothing herein shall be construed as affecting the authority of any elected officer of such county, or of the head of any department created therein, to make the final decision with respect to the retention or dismissal of any employee of such officer or department who holds such position on the effective date of such classification system; nor shall this act impair the authority of any such officer or department head to accept or reject job applicants, subject only to the minimum qualifications established for any such position.