(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4) of this section, the salaries of all elected officers of the county shall be fixed by the county board prior to January 15 of the year in which a general election will be held for the respective offices.

(2) The salaries of all deputies in the offices of the elected officers and appointive veterans service officers of the county shall be fixed by the county board at such times as necessity may require.

(3) The county board may make payments that include, but are not limited to, salaries described in this section or reimbursable expenses by electronic funds transfer or a similar means of direct deposit.

(4)(a) The salaries of the members of the county board shall be established by resolution by the members of the county board subject to the requirements in this section. Except as provided in subdivision (b) of this subsection, no such salary shall be increased by more than the cumulative change in the unadjusted Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Federal Bureau for Labor Statistics for the period since the last salary increase plus one percent. No such salary shall be increased more than once every two fiscal years.

(b) The county board may place the issue on the ballot of whether to increase the salary of the members of the county board by more than the amount permitted in subdivision (a) of this subsection for approval by the registered voters of the county. The county board shall determine the percentage of increase and hold a public hearing regarding the increase. If the county board approves the percentage by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the county board, the county board shall transmit the issue to the election commissioner or county clerk for placement on the ballot at the next statewide general election subject to section 32-559.