(a) With respect to any county in which there exists a civil court of the county continued in existence by Article VI, Section X, Paragraph I, subparagraph (5) of the Constitution and in which there are as of June 30, 1983, no officers who will become magistrates pursuant to Code Section 15-10-120, the provisions of this Code section shall control over any other conflicting provisions of this chapter.

(b) In any county subject to this Code section the judge of such civil court shall serve as chief magistrate for a term of office concurrent with his term as judge of civil court. The chief judge of superior court of any such county shall fix the compensation to be received by the chief magistrate for his services as chief magistrate, and such compensation may be less than the minimum salary otherwise specified by this chapter.

(c) In any county subject to this Code section the clerk of civil court shall serve as clerk of magistrate court and the sheriff and deputies of civil court shall serve as constables of magistrate court.

(d) A civil court judge who appoints an attorney or another trial judge to act as judge pro tempore of the civil court may provide that the attorney or judge so appointed shall also serve as magistrate pro tempore for the magistrate court.