No governing body, official, officer, or employee of any municipality affected by this Sub-part shall, when this Sub-part first becomes effective in the municipality, reduce any employee in grade, rank, or class of position, nor abolish any grade, rank, or class of position for the sole purpose of complying with the provisions hereof. However, a municipality need not be required to create any position, grade, rank, or class of employment when this Sub-part first becomes effective, for the sole purpose of complying with the provisions hereof.
La. R.S. § 33:2215