(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the citizens of voting age residing in each of the county commissioner districts in each county in this state are qualified to participate in the meeting which shall be held in each such district in each year not earlier than September 1, and at least 10 days before the annual meeting of the county extension council upon a date and at a time and place determined and fixed by the executive board of the county extension council and shall elect annually from among their number four members of the county extension council. In Leavenworth county, such election shall be held at the time of the annual Leavenworth county fair. Of the four members, one shall be elected to represent agriculture and shall be actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, one shall be elected to represent home economics work, one shall be elected to represent 4-H club and youth work, and one shall be elected to represent educational programs in economic development initiatives. The county extension council executive board members of each county may choose to hold a countywide election meeting in lieu of holding a meeting in each district. Prior to adjournment of the countywide meeting the citizens of each county commissioner district shall separate into groups for the purpose of electing the county extension council members who shall represent the district on the county extension council. The countywide meeting shall be subject to the same conditions hereinabove provided for county commissioner district election meetings.

(b) The executive board of the county extension council, as provided for in subsection (f), may choose, as an alternate method of electing county extension council members, to mail a ballot to each citizen of voting age residing in the county at least three weeks before the annual meeting of the county extension council. The ballots shall contain the names and resident addresses of all persons who are candidates for county extension council membership. The incumbent county extension council members shall select not less than two persons as candidates for each position to be filled. After the ballot has been marked, each voter shall mail or otherwise transmit the ballot to the county extension office of the county at least seven days prior to the annual meeting of the county extension council.

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(c) In any county having three county commissioner districts, the citizens may elect county extension council members at large or by county commissioner district as determined by the executive board of the county extension council for the county. In any county having other than three county commissioner districts, the citizens shall elect county extension council members at large. A county extension council elected at large shall also have a total elected membership of 24, with six members elected to represent agriculture who shall be actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, six members elected to represent home economics, six members elected to represent 4-H club and youth work, and six members elected to represent educational programs in economic development initiatives. When county extension council members are elected at large, 12 shall be elected annually, three of whom shall represent agriculture, three of whom shall represent home economics, three of whom shall represent 4-H club and youth work, and three of whom shall represent educational programs in economic development initiatives. County extension council members elected at large shall serve under the same conditions as county extension council members elected by county commissioner districts, except the provision that three members of the executive board shall be elected from each county commissioner district shall not apply.

(d) The 24 members so elected in the three county commissioner districts, or at large, in any county shall constitute and be the county extension council, and it shall be the duty of the council to plan the educational extension programs of the county.

(e) At the annual meeting of the county extension council, the council members elected to represent agricultural pursuits, home economics work, 4-H club and youth work or educational programs in economic development initiatives, may meet separately and elect a group chairperson. Each group shall meet as necessary for the purpose of developing educational program plans on extension work in agricultural pursuits, in home economics work, in 4-H club and youth work, or economic development initiatives. All program plans shall be subject to final approval by the executive board of the county extension council.

(f) The county extension council shall meet annually not earlier than October 1, and not later than December 20, and shall elect from among its own members an executive board consisting of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer and five additional members. The date, time and place of the annual meeting shall be determined and fixed by the executive board. No more than three members of the executive board shall be elected from any county commissioner district, and at least one member shall be elected from each county extension council member group namely, agricultural pursuits, home economics, 4-H club and youth work, and educational programs in economic development initiatives. The executive board of the county extension council is authorized to transact all business of the council, shall have control of all the property of the council, and may employ and fix the compensation of such persons as are necessary for the conduct of the business of the council, except as herein otherwise expressly provided.

(g) Members of the county extension council and of the executive board shall receive no compensation for their services as members of the council or of the executive board. The members of the executive board, after their election and prior to entering upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take and sign the usual oath of public officers and the same shall be filed in the office of the county clerk.

(h) (1) The treasurer of the executive board after election as treasurer and before entering upon the duties of the office as treasurer shall execute to the council a corporate surety bond, of 100% of the amount as nearly as can be ascertained that shall be in the treasurer’s hands at any one time. All the bonds shall be conditioned to the faithful discharge of the duties of the office of treasurer. The amount and sufficiency of all bonds shall be determined by the county clerk, and, upon the county clerk’s approval endorsed on the bond, shall be filed with the county clerk, who shall immediately notify the secretary of the executive board and the county treasurer of the approval and filing. The cost of any corporate surety bond so furnished shall be paid by the executive board. In the event of the breach of any condition thereof, the chairperson of the executive board shall, and if the chairperson does not, any member of the county extension council may, cause a suit to be commenced thereon in the member’s own name for the benefit of the council, in which suit it shall not be necessary to include the treasurer as a party to the suit and the money collected shall be applied to the use of the council, as the same should have been applied by the treasurer.

(2) Public notices of each annual election meeting or mail ballot election for county commissioner districts or at large, and the annual meeting of the county extension council provided for in this section shall be published once at least one week but not more than three weeks prior to the date fixed for such election or annual council meeting in a newspaper having general circulation in the county. The executive board shall call each of the annual election meetings and the annual meeting of the extension council and shall cause the notices of meetings to be published as herein required. The notices shall state the date, time and place of the meeting. The cost of publishing the notices shall be paid by the executive board of the county extension council.

(3) The elected officers and the members of the executive board shall hold office for one year and until their successors are elected and qualify. Vacancies in the membership of the executive board shall be filled for the unexpired term from the remaining members of the county extension council by the executive board. Vacancies among the officers of the executive board shall be filled for the unexpired term by election from the members of the executive board. Each year not earlier than January 2, and not later than January 15, the retiring executive board shall meet with the newly elected executive board at a time and place designated by the chairperson of the retiring executive board. At the meeting the retiring executive board shall conclude all business of the past year and pay all lawful bills for the year in which it has served and provide the new executive board with all reports, records and other information which may be necessary to the operation of the county extension program during the ensuing year.

(4) Members of the county extension council shall hold office for a term of two years and until their successors are elected and qualify, and no member of the council shall hold office for more than two consecutive terms. Vacancies in the membership of the county extension council shall be filled by appointment by the executive board for the unexpired term of office.

(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the terms of all members of any county extension council serving on the effective date of this act shall expire in 1987, and 24 members shall be elected to constitute and be the county extension council by one of the election methods authorized by this section. Of the members elected to the county extension in 1987, six members shall be elected to represent agriculture who shall be actively engaged in agricultural pursuits, six members shall be elected to represent home economics, six members shall be elected to represent 4-H club and youth work and six members shall be elected to represent educational programs in economic development initiatives. Three of each of the six members elected to represent each county extension council member group shall hold office for a one-year term and until their successors are elected and qualify, and three of each six-member group shall hold office for a two-year term and until their successors are elected and qualify.