1. If a county counselor is appointed, the county counselor and the county counselor’s assistants under the county counselor’s direction shall represent the county and all departments, officers, institutions and agencies thereof, except as otherwise provided by law and shall upon request of any county department, officer, institution or agency for which legal counsel is otherwise provided by law, and upon the approval of the county commission or governing body, represent such department, officer, institution or agency. The county counselor shall commence, prosecute or defend, as the case may require, and exercise exclusive authority in all civil suits or actions in which the county or any county officer, commission, governing body, or agency is a party, in the county counselor’s or its official capacity, the county counselor shall draw all contracts relating to the business of the county, the county counselor shall represent the county generally in all matters of civil law, and the county counselor shall upon request furnish written opinions to any county officer or department.

2. In all cases in which a civil fine may be imposed pursuant to section 49.272, it shall be the duty of the county counselor, rather than the county prosecuting attorney, to prosecute such violations in the associate division of the circuit court in the county where the violation occurred.

3. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the county counselor in any county of the first classification and the prosecuting attorney of such county may by mutual cooperation agreement prosecute or defend any civil action which the prosecuting attorney or county counselor of the county is authorized or required by law to prosecute or defend.