(a) In a county with a population of less than 2.8 million, if a majority of the employees voting at the election approve the creation of a sheriff’s department civil service system, the sheriff, commissioners court, and district attorney shall each appoint one person to serve as a member of the civil service commission that administers the system. In a county with a population of 2.8 million or more, if a majority of the employees voting at the election approve the creation of a sheriff’s department civil service system, the sheriff, commissioners court, and district attorney shall each appoint two persons to serve as members of the civil service commission that administers the system, and the three appointing authorities shall appoint one member by joint action requiring the affirmative vote of each of the authorities.
(b) The sheriff shall designate one of the members as chairman of the commission.

(c) Each member of the commission is appointed for a term of two years. However, the initial members of the commission in a county with a population of less than 2.8 million shall determine by lot which two of them will serve a term of two years and which one of them will serve a term of one year. In a county with a population of 2.8 million or more:
(1) the initial member appointed jointly under Subsection (a) serves a term of two years; and
(2) the initial members appointed by each individual appointing authority shall determine by lot which one of the two initial members appointed by the appointing authority will serve a term of two years and which initial member appointed by that authority will serve a term of one year.
(d) The entity that appointed a member of the commission whose position becomes vacant shall appoint a person to serve the unexpired part of the member’s term.
(e) To be eligible for appointment to the commission, a person must:
(1) be at least 25 years old; and
(2) have resided in the county for the three years immediately preceding the date on which the person’s term will begin.