The members and certain conditions of membership in the retirement system created by this act shall be as follows: (a) All persons, employed by the county prior to March 26, 1961, who may be found physically and mentally fit to the satisfaction of the pension commission herein provided for, may become members of the county employees' retirement system created under this act, and shall receive no pension or retirement allowance from any other pension or retirement system supported wholly or in part by the county, nor shall they be required to make contributions to any other pension or retirement system of said county. Such persons shall not be given credit for pension purposes hereunder for any prior service; provided, however, that where any such employee has had service prior to March 26, 1961 as an employee in any State, county or municipal position, such employee shall be given credit for pension purposes hereunder for such service upon written application therefor to the pension commission within 1 year after becoming a member of this retirement system and upon payment into the retirement system herein provided. Such member shall receive credit for all of his service in the employ of the county or for any part of his service in any other compensated, public position in the State of New Jersey, elected or appointed, provided that payments are made by such member in an amount or amounts calculated in accordance with the rules of the commission as may be necessary to provide 1/2 of the actuarial cost of such service credit. In the event that such member retires before he completes the payment for the service credit that he is purchasing, credit for such service shall be given in direct proportion as the amount paid bears to the total amount of the obligation. Said sum of money may be paid in one lump sum or by semimonthly deductions from salary, together with the regular deductions provided by this act, until completed. All payments aforesaid by the employee shall be made together with interest thereon at a rate to be determined by the pension commission. (b) All employees at the time of the adoption of this act who are under 45 years of age and are not members of any retirement system supported wholly or in part by the county; and any official stenographic reporter and proxies of such official stenographic reporter who are serving as such at the time of the adoption of this act, may become members of the retirement system created under this act upon written application made to the pension commission before July 1, 1943, under one of the following 2 plans (B1) and (B2): (B1) To receive credit for service rendered to the county prior to joining this retirement system such employee shall pay into this retirement system a sum of money equal to 3% of salary received either since June 1, 1929, or since August 1, 1932, depending upon which of the said 2 dates such employee first became eligible to membership in the county employees' retirement system of such county established under "An act providing for the retirement of certain county employees in counties of the first class of this State and providing a pension for such retired county employees and their dependents," approved April 22, 1929 (P.L.1929, c. 122), or article 1 of chapter 10 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes; or since the date of his entrance into county service, if he became an employee after June 1, 1929; provided, however, that as to the official stenographic reporter and proxies of such official stenographic reporter such employee shall pay into this retirement system a sum of money equal to 3% of salary received from the county upon order of the justice of the Supreme Court since June 1, 1929, or since the date of his entrance into such county service, if he became an employee after June 1, 1929. Such payment may be made either (1) in one sum, or (2) by equal semimonthly installments to be deducted together with each regular deduction from his salary for the retirement system provided for under this act; provided, however, that in case an employee chooses to pay for such prior county service by method (2), aforesaid, that is by equal semimonthly installments, such employee shall receive credit for so much of such prior county service as is thus paid for, and no more. Upon such payment or payments being made, the county shall annually pay into the retirement system herein provided for a sum of money equal in amount to the employee's principal payment. All payments aforesaid by the employee shall be made together with interest thereon at a rate to be determined by the pension commission. Any such employee who elects to become a member of this retirement system under the aforesaid plan shall, upon his application to the pension commission prior to July 1, 1943, be given credit for pension purposes hereunder for any prior service or services rendered as an employee of the State, and of any municipalities or other political subdivisions of the State, upon payment into the retirement system herein provided, for a period of time equal to the length of prior service for which credit is allowed, of a sum of money equal in amount to 3% of salary, said 3% of salary being based upon the salary received by such employee at the time of the making of said application. Said sum of money may be paid in one lump sum or by semimonthly deductions from salary, together with the regular deductions provided by this act, until completed; provided, however, that such prior service shall be credited only as paid for. Upon such payment or payments being made, the county shall annually pay into the retirement system herein provided for, a sum of money equal in amount to the employee's principal payment or payments. All payments aforesaid by the employee shall be made together with interest thereon at a rate to be determined by the pension commission. (B2) The regular deductions from the salary of any employee electing to become a member under this plan (B2) shall commence upon the filing of such written application and such employee shall not receive credit for any service rendered theretofore in any State, county, or municipal office or position. (c) All employees who, at the time of the adoption and approval of this act, are members of any of the following retirement systems in effect in said county: County employees in counties of the first class (article 1 of chapter 10 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes); County detectives in counties of the first, second, third, and fifth classes (article 2 of chapter 10 of Title 43, of the Revised Statutes); Probation officers of counties of over 83,000 inhabitants (article 5 of chapter 10 of Title 43, of the Revised Statutes); Sheriff's employees in counties of the first and second classes (article 6 of chapter 10 of Title 43, of the Revised Statutes); Sergeants-at-arms and court criers in counties of the first class (article 7 of chapter 10 of Title 43, of the Revised Statutes); County superintendents of weights and measures and assistant county superintendents of weights and measures ( "An act providing for the retirement of persons employed in the department of weights and measures of any county in this State, and providing a pension for such persons so retired," filed June 21, 1938 (P.L.1938, c. 397)); County park police in counties of more than 200,000 population (sections 40:37-157 to 40:37-174, inclusive, of the Revised Statutes); shall on July 1, 1943, automatically become members of the county employees' retirement system provided for by this act and all such employees shall be deemed to agree and consent to the transfer of such membership unless they, or any one of them shall, before July 1, 1943, by written notice to the pension commission of their respective retirement systems operating in such county, elect to withdraw therefrom their contributions theretofore made, without interest. Any such members electing to withdraw from such membership shall thereafter be ineligible for membership in any retirement system of such county, or for any pension payable, in whole or in part, by funds of such county under the provisions of any statute of this State except sections 43:4-1 to 43:4-5, inclusive, of the Revised Statutes. All such employees who become members of the county employees' retirement system provided by this act shall be given credit for pension purposes hereunder for all services, including services performed in any elective office, rendered to the county prior to July 1, 1943; provided, however, that where any such employee had theretofore agreed, under the provisions of article 1 of chapter 10 of Title 43, of the Revised Statutes, to pay for any part or all of such service rendered to the county prior to July 1, 1943, the transfer of such employee's membership into this system shall include the transfer to this system of all the conditions and obligations of such prior agreement made by such employee and such employee shall be deemed to agree and consent to the transfer to this system of such conditions and obligations until the conditions of such agreement have been fully complied with. Except as otherwise provided by section 8 of this act, where any such employee's membership shall be transferred to this retirement system on July 1, 1943, such employee shall be given credit for pension purposes hereunder for any prior service or services rendered as an employee of the State and of any municipalities or other political subdivisions of the State, upon application therefor to the pension commission within 1 year after the transfer of such membership, and upon payment into the retirement system herein provided, for a period of time equal to the length of prior service for which credit is allowed, of a sum of money equal in amount to 3% of salary, said 3% of salary being based upon the salary received by such employee at the time of the making of said application. Said sum of money may be paid in one lump sum or by semimonthly deductions from salary, together with the regular deductions provided by this act, until completed; provided, however, that such prior service shall be credited only as paid for. Upon such payment or payments being made, the county shall annually pay into the retirement system herein provided a sum of money equal in amount to the employee's principal payment or payments. All payments aforesaid by the employee shall be made together with interest thereon at a rate to be determined by the pension commission. (d) Any person who at the time of the adoption of this act shall be a county employee and not a member of this retirement system and who became a county employee prior to such employee reaching the age of 45 years, may become a member of this retirement system upon written application made to the pension commission within 1 year after the adoption of this act upon such employee complying with all of the following conditions. (D1) Submit to a medical examination and be found mentally and physically fit to the satisfaction of the pension commission. (D2) Pay into this retirement system, in addition to the regular deductions provided by this act, a sum of money equal to 5% of salary received by such employee for the period of time elapsing since such employee became 45 years of age, said 5% of salary being based upon the salary received by such employee at the time of the making of application for membership in this system. Said sum of money must be paid in one lump sum, together with interest thereon at a rate to be determined by the pension commission, and upon the same being paid, the county shall, within a reasonable time thereafter, pay into this retirement system a sum of money equal in amount to such employee's principal payment. Upon making the aforesaid payment, such employee shall be given credit for pension purposes for such period of prior service rendered to the county since he became 45 years of age. (D3) Receive no credit for county service rendered prior to reaching the age of 45 years but be given the option of buying such prior service credits for pension purposes upon written application made therefor to the pension commission within 1 year after becoming a member of this retirement system and upon payment into this retirement system, of a sum of money equal in amount to 3% of the salary received by such employee during the period of time for which service credits for pension purposes is allowed. At the time such employee applies for service credits for pension purposes, such employee may elect to pay said sum of money in one lump sum or by semimonthly deductions from salary, together with the regular deductions provided by this act, until completed; provided, however, that such prior service shall be credited only as paid for. Upon such payment or payments being made, the county shall annually pay into this retirement system a sum of money equal in amount to the employee's principal payment, or payments. All payments aforesaid by the employee shall be made together with interest at a rate to be determined by the pension commission. (e) Any member of the retirement system as of the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act may receive credit for all service in the employ of the county or for any part of his service in any other compensated, public position in the State of New Jersey, elected or appointed, for which service credit has not already been established for him in the retirement system provided by the act to which this act is amendatory and supplementary; provided that payments are made by such member in an amount or amounts calculated in accordance with the rules of the commission as may be necessary to provide 1/2 of the actuarial cost of such service credit. In the event that such member retires before he completes payment for the service credit that he is purchasing, credit for such service shall be given in direct proportion as the amount paid bears to the amount of the obligation. L.1943, c. 160, p. 450, s. 6. Amended by L.1947, c. 400, p. 1254, s. 1; L.1960, c. 191, p. 795, s. 3; L.1966, c. 243, s. 2, eff. Aug. 17, 1966.