(a) Except as provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section, the annual salary of the judges of the superior courts shall be as provided in Code Section 45-7-4 and may be as provided in Code Section 15-6-29.1. The annual salary provided by Code Section 45-7-4 shall be paid by The Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia in 12 equal monthly installments.

(b)(1) Each superior court judge in office on July 1, 2025, shall have the option to receive the annual salary provided by Code Section 45-7-4 and any locality pay provided for by Code Section 15-6-29.2, in lieu of his or her compensation which is otherwise provided by laws in effect on June 30, 2025. The option provided by this paragraph shall be exercised by such judge’s filing a written notification thereof with The Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia and the governing authority of each county comprising such judge’s judicial circuit. A superior court judge in office on July 1, 2025, shall not be required or obligated to exercise the option provided by this paragraph, but if and when any such judge voluntarily and expressly exercises such option, such judge’s exercise of such option shall be final and irrevocable. The failure to exercise the option shall be an election to continue to receive compensation as previously calculated by law in effect on June 30, 2025, and as outlined in paragraph (2) of this subsection, and until such option is exercised. The option exercised pursuant to this paragraph shall go into effect the next pay period beginning five business days following the exercise of such option.

(2) To ensure that no superior court judge in office on July 1, 2025, has his or her salary, allowance, or county salary supplements decreased during his or her term of office, any superior court judge in office on July 1, 2025, who does not exercise the irrevocable option provided by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall continue to be compensated in precisely the same manner as he or she was compensated as of June 30, 2025, including, but not limited to, county supplements, in accordance with Article VI, Section VII, Paragraph V of the Constitution.

(c) The annual salary shall be the total compensation to be paid by the state to the superior court judges and shall be in lieu of any and all other amounts to be paid from The Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia, except as provided in Code Sections 15-6-29.1, 15-6-29.2, 15-6-30, and 15-6-32.