As used in this part:
(1) "Appointing authority" means the sheriff of a county having jurisdiction over any peace officer.
(2) "Commission" means the merit system commission consisting of three individuals appointed in accordance with Section 17-76-203 and having the duty, power, and responsibility for the discharge of the functions of this chapter.
(3) "Department of Public Safety" means the department created in Section 53-1-103.
(4) "Eligible register" means the list made by a commission described in Subsection 17-76-209(1) that contains the names of all applicants that took the examination and that received a passing grade.
(5) "Examination" means the competitive examination for employment as a peace officer described in Section 17-76-207.
(6) "Member" means an individual appointed to the merit commission in accordance with Section 17-76-203.
(7) "Merit system officer" means a peace officer who has merit status as defined in this part.
(8) "Peace officer" means any paid deputy sheriff, other than a chief deputy designated by the sheriff, who is in the continuous employ of a county.
(9) "Police interlocal entity" means an interlocal entity, as defined in Section 11-13-103, that is created:
(a) under Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act, by an agreement to which a county of the first class is a party; and
(b) to provide law enforcement service to an area that includes the unincorporated part of the county.
(10) "Police special district" means a special district, as defined in Section 17B-1-102:
(a) whose creation was initiated by the adoption of a resolution under Section 17B-1-203 by the legislative body of a county of the first class, alone or with one or more other county legislative bodies; and
(b) that is created to provide law enforcement service to an area that includes the unincorporated part of the county.