The benefits conferred by this act shall apply to all persons employed in any capacity by or holding positions in the cities included in its provisions, which shall include all persons employed in any capacity by or holding position in a credit union maintained by and for city employes or in an authority created by said cities, or created by said cities jointly with another political subdivision or other political subdivisions or created by another political subdivision or other political subdivisions and joined by said cities, except where such authority has in effect its own pension or retirement plan, maintained without reference to the provisions of this act, in which case such authority's pension or retirement plan shall be exclusive and such authority's employes shall not be entitled to any rights under this act; and the words “city” or “cities,” as used in sections three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ten, eleven, twelve and fourteen of this act shall be construed to mean “credit union,” “authority” or “authorities” so created where appropriate: Provided, That this act shall not apply to employes of such departments, bureaus, or offices as are now protected by pension authorized by the laws of this State, and in force at the time of the passage of this act, and shall not apply to employes of a joint authority who are members of a pension fund established for the benefit of the employes of a political subdivision other than the city which is a member of the joint authority.

For the purposes of this act the solicitor and all employes of the office of the solicitor for delinquent real estate tax and water rate liens provided for by the act, approved the twenty-sixth day of May, one thousand nine hundred forty-three (Pamphlet Laws six hundred twenty-nine), shall be regarded as persons employed by or holding positions in the cities included in the provisions of this act, to the extent that they may, if they so desire, avail themselves of the benefits of the act to which this is an amendment by paying to the board of pensions monthly the amount provided for by said act.