§19-8-1. County extension service committee; composition; organization; duties and responsibilities; employment and compensation of extension workers.

The county extension service committee shall be composed of (a) the president of the county farm bureau, (b) the president of the county extension homemakers council, (c) the president of the county Four-H leaders' association, (d) a county commissioner designated by the president of the county commission, (e) a member of the county board of education designated by the president of the county board of education, (f) a county representative of the grange, and (g) two members who are residents of the county to be appointed by the board of advisors of West Virginia University for staggered terms of three years each beginning on July 1, and in making these appointments the board of advisors shall appoint one member designated by any other active farm organization in the county not already represented by virtue of this section. If any of the above-named organizations do not exist in the county, the board of advisors of West Virginia University may appoint an additional member for each such vacancy. The committee shall annually elect from its membership a chairperson and a secretary.

It shall each year be the duty and responsibility of the county extension service committee:

(1) To enter into a memorandum of agreement with the cooperative extension service of West Virginia University for the employment of county cooperative extension workers.

(2) To prepare a memorandum of agreement with the county commission and with the county board of education for their financial support of extension work.

(3) To give guidance and assistance in the development of the county cooperative extension service program and in the preparation of the annual plan of work for the county.

Such county cooperative extension service committee may on or before July 1, of each year file with the county commission a written memorandum of agreement with the cooperative extension service of West Virginia University for the employment for the next fiscal year of county extension agents, extension homemaker agents, associate or assistant agents, and clerical workers.

The county cooperative extension service committee may also file on or before July 1, of each year with the county board of education a written memorandum of agreement with the cooperative extension service of West Virginia University for the employment for the next fiscal year of Four-H club or youth development agents, associate or assistant agents, and clerical workers.

If such agreement or agreements are so filed, the county commission and the county board of education of such county, or either of them, may annually enter into such agreement or agreements for the employment for the next fiscal year of such county extension agents, extension homemaker agents, Four-H club or youth development agents, associate or assistant agents, and clerical workers, or any of them, as may be nominated by the cooperative extension service of West Virginia University, and approved in writing by at least five members of the county extension service committee.

Salaries and expenses of all such county extension workers shall be paid by the cooperative extension service, the county commission, and the board of Education, or jointly out of such appropriations as are made by the Legislature, the county commission and the board of Education, separately or in conjunction with such federal acts as do now, or may hereafter, provide funds for such purpose. That part of salaries, travel and general office expense to be provided by the county commission according to the approved memorandum shall be paid from general county funds.

Whenever the cooperative extension service is required by law or legislative intent to grant a salary increase to its employees, the state budget shall include such additional funds as may be necessary to fully fund such salary increase. It is the intent of this section that the cooperative extension service shall not be dependent upon county or federal funds or upon the other funds of the institution or the governing board to meet the costs of such a salary increase required by law or legislative intent regardless of the source of the employee's base salary: Provided, That any decrease by the county of base salary levels of county extension employees, as exists on June thirtieth of the year preceding the year the salary increase is authorized, shall not be funded by the state.