Title
Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-331: An Ordinance Amending Chapter 26, Article II, Section 26-45 of the Code of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos By Amending the Salary for the Municipal Judge
Recommended Action
I introduce, without prejudice, Incorporated County of Los Alamos Ordinance No. 02-331: An Ordinance Amending Chapter 26, Article II, Section 26-45 of the Code of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos By Amending the Salary for the Municipal Judge and ask staff to assure that it is published as provided in the County Charter.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council Introduce this Ordinance.
Body
The salary for the Municipal Judge is contained in the County Code Section 26-45 and is currently set at $75,000.00 per annum. This current amount of compensation paid was established in 2017. A recent review of salaries paid to Municipal Judges throughout the state was completed and in most cases, the Municipal Judge salary is based on either Magistrate Judge or State District Court Judge salary with a range of 80% to 90% of state salaries. From this review, compensation equal to 90% of the current Magistrate Judge compensation is recommended due to level of involvement and complexity of cases of the Los Alamos Municipal court. If approved, this salary increase would begin on January 1, 2023.
Proposed Public Hearing Schedule:
The Public hearing for this item is scheduled for September 27, 2022.
Alternatives
Council could not amend this salary or revise the suggested salary.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Unplanned Item
There is no staff impact but there will be a fiscal impact due to the increased compensation and associated benefits. If necessary, a budget revision will be brought back during the public hearing.
Attachments
A - Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-331