(a) All counties cooperating with the University of Tennessee extension by making an appropriation for extension work shall elect an agricultural extension committee composed of seven (7) members. The committee shall be elected by the county legislative body.

(b) Three (3) of the members shall be elected from the membership of the county legislative body. There shall be elected to the committee four (4) members who are not members of the county legislative body. Two (2) shall be farmers and two (2) shall be farm women, residing in different civil districts.

(c) The members shall be elected for terms of two (2) years, except that if there are fewer than four (4) civil districts in a county, at least one (1) member shall come from each civil district. Two (2) of the members representing the county legislative body, one (1) farmer and one (1) farm woman, shall be elected in even-numbered years; the other members shall be elected in odd-numbered years. The elections shall be held at the first meeting of the county legislative body of each calendar year. No member may be elected for more than three (3) successive terms. In the event that there is a vacancy on the committee, the county legislative body shall fill the vacancy at its next regular meeting after the vacancy occurs; and the committee member filling the vacancy shall serve during the unexpired term of the member's predecessor.

(d) The functions of the committee shall be to:

(1) Act with duly authorized representatives of the University of Tennessee extension in the employment or removal of personnel receiving funds from county extension appropriations;

(2) Act with duly authorized representatives of the state agricultural extension service in formulating the county extension budget, and serve as liaison between the extension service and the county legislative body on financial and other matters relating to the work;

(3) Act in an advisory capacity on county extension program formulation; and

(4) Act in an advisory capacity on activities performed in connection with carrying out the program.

(e) In performing the functions under subsection (d), the committee shall meet with duly authorized representatives of the University of Tennessee extension on selected dates mutually agreed to by the chair of the committee and the representatives of the University of Tennessee extension during the months of February, May, August and November, and at other times deemed desirable by a majority of the members of the committee.