574                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 181

provisions of § 32A of Article 73B of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
as amended, shall retain credit for past service if in an actuarially-
funded county, city or municipal retirement system. ["Salary" as
referred to in the preceding sentence of this subsection means an
amount equivalent to the compensation provided for that category of
employee on January 1, 1971 and any increment in compensation re-
ceived by that category of employee since January 1, 1971 if the in-
crement was received pursuant to a right or salary plan in effect on
January 1, 1971.] Any employee made part of the State classified
service shall not be deemed a permanent employee unless the period
of service with his prior governmental employer would qualify the
employee for permanent status if the employee had been serving in
the State service during the period; provided, however, that the prior
service shall be credited against the applicable probationary period
required to be served under the provisions of the Merit System Law.
It is further provided that any clerical, administrative or constabular
employee otherwise within the provisions of this subsection but who
was hired, promoted or reclassified by his governmental employer
after January 1, 1971, but prior to July 4, 1971, shall continue as an
employee of the District Court only upon a determination by the chief
judge of the District Court that the employee's continued service in
the job classification held on the first Monday in July, 1971, is re-
quired for the effective operation of the District Court. Except as
heretofore provided, all such clerical, administrative and constabular
employees shall be appointed by the chief judge of the District Court
upon the recommendation of the administrative judge in each district.
All constables, clerks, and clerical and administrative employees as
may be necessary to conduct the business of the court shall be in the
State service.

(c)  With respect to every employee or person described in subsec-
tions (a) or (b) of this section who elects to remain under a county,
city or municipal [merit, classification,] leave, retirement or health
system, the county, city or municipality in question shall make what-
ever payments or contributions are required to be made by the county,
city or municipality to or for the account or on behalf of the em-
ployee, and the State shall periodically reimburse the county, city or
municipality for any such payments or contributions made, pro-
vided that payments or contributions made by the county, city or
municipality to the retirement or group insurance program of any
such employee shall not be deemed to be salary with respect to the
employee.

(d)  The chief clerk of the District Court shall be responsible, sub-
ject to the direction of the chief judge of the District Court, for the
administration and day-to-day clerical operation of the District Court
and its several divisions and locations and shall perform all other
duties as may be prescribed by rule or by law. He may delegate ad-
ministrative duties to other clerical or administrative personnel of the
District Court in a manner consistent with rule and with law. The
chief administrative clerk in each district shall be responsible to the
chief clerk of the District Court and the administrative judge of the
district for the maintenance and operation of the clerical staff and
work within the district, including dockets, records, and all necessary
papers. The District Court clerk in each county shall be responsible
for the custody and maintenance of the files, records, and operations
of the court in his or her county subject to the direction of the chief