a. In any first or second class county of this State any sheriff’s employee who shall now or hereafter have served as such for a continuous period of 20 years, and shall have reached the age of 60 years, shall, upon application in writing to the board of chosen freeholders of the county, be retired upon half pay.

b. Should any member of the pension fund created pursuant to R.S. 43:10-69, after having completed 10 years of service for which credit has been established in the pension fund, be separated voluntarily or involuntarily from the service, before reaching age 60, and not by removal for cause or charges of misconduct or delinquency, he may elect to withdraw his contributions to the fund or receive a deferred pension beginning at age 60 which shall be made up of an annuity derived from the accumulated deductions standing to the credit of the individual member’s account in the annuity savings fund at the time of his severance from service, together with regular interest and a pension which when added to the annuity will produce a total retirement allowance of 1/60 of the annual salary the member was receiving at the time he became separated from service, for each year of creditable service.

Amended by L. 1985, c. 218, s. 1, eff. July 2, 1985.