In addition to all other powers and duties now conferred by law upon county commissions, such commissions are hereby authorized to establish employee wage and benefits review boards.

If a county commission elects to create such a board, the board shall establish uniform:

1. (a) Employee salary scales with ranges of minimum and maximum figures for each type of position within the county. Compensation within and between each salary range shall be based on merit, commensurate with experience, education and demonstrated job performance;
2. (b) Job descriptions for each type of position, including assistants, deputies and employees not covered by a civil service system;
3. (c) Vacation policies to be consistently applied among different employees in the same type of work;
4. (d) Policies governing sick leave and vacation leave, including accumulation of leave from year to year;
5. (e) County-wide grievance policies, which shall be pursued to the fullest extent before any judicial remedy may be sought; and

6. (f) Other personnel practices which reflect sound, modern administrative practice.

   In addition to the above duties of an employee benefits review board, the board shall establish procedures for receiving and reviewing comments and suggestions of county employees and of any citizen of the county regarding job descriptions, salary schedules and personnel policies developed for county assistants, deputies and employees not covered by a civil service system.

   The employee benefits review board shall consist of the following members:

   1. (1) One county commissioner selected by the county commission;
   2. (2) County clerk;
   3. (3) County sheriff;
   4. (4) County assessor;
   5. (5) Clerk of the circuit court in which the county is located;
   6. (6) Prosecuting attorney; and

   7. (7) Two county employees selected by the county commission, one of whom shall be a member of a county civil service system, in counties which have such systems, and one of whom shall not be covered by civil service. Each employee member shall be selected from a different county office. Neither employee member shall be an elected official.

      The county commission shall appropriate sufficient funds for the board to accomplish in a reasonable and proper manner the duties specified herein.