As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning: “county” means Conecuh County, Alabama; “employee” means any person, including law enforcement officers, not excepted by Section 45-18-120.02, who is employed in the service of Conecuh County or any board, agency, or instrumentality thereof; “merit employee” means any such employee who shall have completed his or her six months of probationary employment; “board” means the merit system board created by this article; “appointing authority” means in the case of employees in the offices of the elected officials of the county, such elected officials, and means, in the case of all other county employees, the county governing body, or the board or other agency supervising their work.