(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Board of Supervisors of Riverside County may find, after holding a public hearing on the issue, that cost savings can be realized by consolidation of court-related services provided by the sheriff and both offices of the marshal within that county. If that finding is made, there shall be conducted among all of the judges of the superior and municipal courts of that county an election to determine the agency, either the sheriff or both offices of the marshal, under which court-related services shall be consolidated. The outcome shall be determined by a simple majority of votes cast. The registrar of voters shall administer that election and tabulate the results thereof. The results of that election shall be reported within 15 days following the election period by the registrar of voters to the board of supervisors and to the judges of the superior and municipal courts of that county. The board of supervisors shall immediately commence and, within a reasonable time not to exceed 90 days, implement the determination made by a majority of the votes cast by the judges of the superior and municipal courts of the county in that election. If an election is not conducted within 90 days of notification of the board of supervisors’ finding, or if the results of the election are evenly divided, the board of supervisors of that county shall determine under which agency, either the sheriff or both offices of the marshal, court-related services shall be consolidated, and shall proceed to implement that consolidation as if on the basis of a majority of the votes cast by the judges of the superior and municipal courts of that county.
(b)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the marshals and all personnel of the marshals’ offices or personnel of the sheriff’s office affected by a consolidation of court-related services under this section shall become employees of that consolidated office at their existing or equivalent classifications, salaries, and benefits, and except as may be necessary for the operation of the agency under which court-related services are consolidated, shall not be involuntarily transferred during a period of six years following the consolidation out of that consolidated court-related services office. The elective offices of marshal for the County of Riverside shall be abolished upon a determination pursuant to the procedures required by this section that consolidated court-related services shall be provided by the sheriff.
(c)
Permanent employees of the marshals’ offices or sheriff’s office on the effective date of a consolidation under this section shall be deemed qualified, and no other qualifications shall be required for employment or retention. Probationary employees of the sheriff’s office or the marshals’ offices on the effective date of a consolidation under this section shall retain their probationary status and rights, and shall not be deemed to have transferred so as to require serving a new probationary period. Transferring personnel may be required to take a promotional examination to promote to a higher classification but shall not be required to retest for his or her existing classification as a prerequisite to testing for a higher classification. A transferring deputy marshal requesting a transfer to another division in the sheriff’s office shall not be required to take a written test as a prerequisite to making a lateral transfer.
(d)
All county service or service by employees of the sheriff’s office or the marshals’ offices on the effective date of a consolidation under this section shall be counted toward seniority in that court-related services office, and all time spent in the same, equivalent, or higher classification shall be counted toward classification seniority.
(e)
No employee of the sheriff’s office or the marshals’ offices on the effective date of a consolidation under this section shall lose peace officer status, or be demoted or otherwise adversely affected by a consolidation of court services.
(f)
This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed unless a later enacted statute, which is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date. The repeal of this section does not affect any right or benefit to which a person was entitled on the date of repeal.