(a) All persons who become employees after the date fixed in the ordinance of the governing body for the retirement system to go into effect shall become members of the retirement system on the expiration of two (2) months from date of employment; however, persons who have reached the age of forty (40) years who have not had prior service or membership service which may be reinstated as hereinafter provided shall not be members of the retirement system.

(b) All persons who are employees of the municipality, and who are members of the general municipal employees’ retirement system shall come under the provisions and benefits of this article and shall receive all benefits provided for in this article. The municipality shall each month deduct from the total compensation of each member not less than seven percent (7%) nor more than ten percent (10%) of the amount thereof, and put the amounts deducted in the employees’ savings fund. Any increase to an amount in excess of seven percent (7%) shall be in increments of not more than one percent (1%) per annum. No increase from the deduction of seven percent (7%) shall be made unless the municipality determines that the avails of a levy of three (3) mills, when combined with the avails of the deduction of seven percent (7%), is insufficient to keep the system actuarially sound.

(c) In lieu of the other provisions of this article, any municipality operating under the provisions of this article on March 1, 1976, may, by a resolution duly adopted and entered upon its minutes, enter into an agreement with the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi whereby all new firemen and policemen employed or reemployed after the effective date of such agreement shall be included in the provisions of such agreement for retirement purposes to the same extent as are other employees covered by the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

(d) No new member may be joined after July 1, 1987, and all new employees of the municipality who are employed after July 1, 1987, shall be covered by the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi.