(a) Any County Solicitor or District Attorney of the 35th Judicial Circuit:
(1) Who is not less than 70 years of age;
(2) Who has served for 12 years or more as county solicitor or district attorney;
(3) Who is receiving no salary or retirement benefits from the State of Alabama or any county within the 35th Judicial Circuit;
may elect to become a Solicitor Counsel of the 35th Judicial Circuit by filing a written declaration to that effect with the District Attorney of the 35th Judicial Circuit. If the district attorney shall find that any such declarant is qualified, as hereinabove set forth, a commission as Solicitor Counsel for the 35th Judicial Circuit shall be issued to such declarant by the District Attorney. The Solicitor Counsel shall aid and assist the district attorney and provide other assistance as required by the county of his or her residence if possible.
(b) The salary of each solicitor counsel shall be three thousand dollars ($3,000) per annum payable in equal monthly installments with one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) per month payable from any district attorney's fund which comes within the 35th Judicial Circuit and one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) per month payable from the county's general fund of the residence of the solicitor counsel. Such solicitor counsel shall hold office during the good behavior of such solicitor counsel but upon refusal to assist the district attorney such solicitor counsel may be removed with a majority vote of the county commission of the county in which the solicitor counsel resides.