(A) As used in this section:

(1) “Government unit” means a county, park district of any kind, conservancy district, sanitary district, regional water and sewer district, regional transit authority, health district, public library district, county law library, joint county department of job and family services, or a detention facility district of any kind.

(2) “Governing board” means, in the case of the county, the board of county commissioners; in the case of a park district, the board of park commissioners; in the case of a conservancy district, the district’s board of directors; in the case of a sanitary district, the district’s board of directors; in the case of a regional water and sewer district, the district’s board of trustees; in the case of a regional transit authority, the authority’s board of trustees; in the case of a health district, the board of health; in the case of a public library district, the board of library trustees; in the case of a county law library, the board of trustees of the law library association; in the case of a joint county department of job and family services, the department’s board of directors; and in the case of a detention facility district, the board or joint board of county commissioners.

(B) In addition to the program of deferred compensation that may be offered under this chapter, a governing board may offer to all of the officers and employees of the government unit not to exceed two additional programs for deferral of compensation designed for favorable tax treatment of the compensation so deferred. Any such program shall include a reasonable number of options to the officer or employee for the investment of the deferred funds, including annuities, variable annuities, regulated investment trusts, or other forms of investment approved by the governing board, that will assure the desired tax treatment of the funds.

A governing board may establish a designated Roth account feature or any other feature in which an officer or employee of the government unit may make tax-deferred or nontax-deferred contributions to an eligible government plan in accordance with 26 U.S.C. § 457, as amended.

Both of the following apply to a deferred compensation program established under this section:

(1) Any income deferred under the program shall continue to be included as regular compensation for the purpose of computing the contributions to and benefits from the officer’s or employee’s retirement system;

(2) Any sums deferred shall not be included in the computation of any federal and state income taxes withheld on behalf of an officer or employee. Sums contributed to a Roth account feature or other feature to which nontax-deferred contributions are made shall be included in the computation of any federal and state income taxes withheld on behalf of an officer or employee.