(a) Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the minimum annual salary of each clerk of the superior court in each county of this state shall be fixed according to the population of the county in which he or she serves, as determined by the United States decennial census of 2000 or any future such census; provided, however, that such annual salary shall be recalculated in any year following a census year in which the Department of Community Affairs publishes a census estimate for the county prior to July 1 in such year that is higher than the immediately preceding decennial census. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, each such clerk shall receive an annual salary, payable in equal monthly installments from the funds of the county, of not less than the amount fixed in the following schedule:

Population Minimum Salary

---------- --------------

0 -- 5,999 $ 29,832.20

6,000 -- 11,889 40,967.92

11,890 -- 19,999 46,408.38

20,000 -- 28,999 49,721.70

29,000 -- 38,999 53,035.03

39,000 -- 49,999 56,352.46

50,000 -- 74,999 63,164.60

75,000 -- 99,999 67,800.09

100,000 -- 149,999 72,434.13

150,000 -- 199,999 77,344.56

200,000 -- 249,999 84,458.82

250,000 -- 299,999 91,682.66

300,000 -- 399,999 101,207.60

400,000 -- 499,999 105,316.72

500,000 or more 109,425.84

(b) Whenever the state employees subject to compensation plans authorized and approved in accordance with Code Section 45-20-4 receive a cost-of-living increase or general performance based increase of a certain percentage or a certain amount, the amounts fixed in the minimum salary schedule in subsection (a) of this Code section, in Code Section 15-6-89, and in subsection (b) of Code Section 15-10-105, or the amounts derived by increasing each of said amounts through the application of longevity increases pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 15-6-90, where applicable shall be increased by the same percentage or same amount applicable to such state employees. If the cost-of-living increase or general performance based increase received by state employees is in different percentages or different amounts as to certain categories of employees, the amounts fixed in the minimum salary schedule in subsection (a) of this Code section, in Code Section 15-6-89, and in subsection (b) of Code Section 15-10-105, or the amounts derived through the application of longevity increases, shall be increased by a percentage or an amount not to exceed the average percentage or average amount of the general increase in salary granted to the state employees. The Office of Planning and Budget shall calculate the average percentage increase or average amount increase when necessary. The periodic changes in the amounts fixed in the minimum salary schedule in subsection (a) of this Code section, in Code Section 15-6-89, in subsection (b) of Code Section 15-10-105, or the amounts derived through the application of longevity increases, as authorized by this subsection shall become effective on the first day of January following the date that the cost-of-living increases or general performance based increases received by state employees become effective; provided, however, that if the cost-of-living increases received by state employees become effective on January 1, such periodic changes in the amounts fixed in the minimum salary schedule in subsection (a) of this Code section, in Code Section 15-6-89, and in subsection (b) of Code Section 15-10-105, or the amounts derived by increasing each of said amounts through the application of longevity increases pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 15-6-90, shall become effective on the same date that the cost-of-living increases or general performance based increases received by state employees become effective.

(c) This Code section shall not be construed to reduce the salary of any clerk of the superior court in office on July 1, 1991; provided, however, that successors to such clerks in office on July 1, 1991, shall be governed by the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section.

(d) The county governing authority may supplement the minimum annual salary of the clerk of the superior court in such amount as it may fix from time to time; but no clerk's compensation supplement shall be decreased during any term of office. Any prior expenditure of county funds to supplement the clerk's salary in the manner authorized by this subsection is ratified and confirmed. Nothing contained in this subsection shall prohibit the General Assembly by local law from supplementing the annual salary of the clerk.