(a) The county mayor of any county that has adopted this part shall appoint, with the approval of the county legislative body or other governing body, a director of accounts and budgets who shall be a county employee.

(b) The director of accounts and budgets shall be qualified by training and experience in the field of accounting to perform the director's duties in a proficient manner and in accordance with generally recognized principles of governmental accounting.

(c)

(1) Before assuming the director's duties the director shall execute a corporate surety bond, the amount of which shall be established by the county mayor at not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).

(2) The bond shall be prepared in accordance with title 8, chapter 19, approved by the county legislative body, recorded in the office of the county register of deeds and transmitted to the office of the county clerk for safekeeping.

(3) The premium for such bond shall be paid from the county general fund.

(d)

(1) The compensation of the director, which shall not be in excess of compensation allowed county officials in accordance with §§ 8-24-101 and 8-24-102, shall be set annually by the county legislative body or other governing body of the county.

(2) The amount of such compensation, the compensation of such stenographers, typists or assistants as the director may need, and the other necessary expenses of the director's office shall be provided for by annual appropriation from the county general fund.

(e) The director has the power, in accordance with such regulations as may be established from time to time by the county mayor, to appoint and remove the director's assistants, to prescribe their duties, and to fix their salaries within the limits of the annual appropriation.

(f)

(1) In any county having a population of not less than thirty-eight thousand six hundred (38,600) nor more than thirty-eight thousand seven hundred (38,700), according to the 1970 federal census or any subsequent federal census, the director shall not be terminated or discharged without the approval of the county legislative body.

(2) This subsection (f) shall not apply in any county that has a metropolitan form of government.