§ 2. JUDGE OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT.

The municipal court shall be presided over by a magistrate who shall be known as the judge of the municipal court. He or she shall be appointed by the council for a four-year term beginning on January first of even numbered years. He or she shall be removed only for cause or disability as defined in the Texas Constitution. He or she shall have been admitted to practice law in the State of Texas for not less than two years and shall have resided in the city for a period of not less than two years immediately preceding his or her appointment.

In the event the judge of the municipal court is unable to act for any reason, the council shall appoint an attorney possessing the qualifications required above to act in his or her place. The judge, or anyone acting in his or her place, shall receive such compensation as may be set by the council.

The council shall have the power to create and establish additional municipal courts, and to appoint more than one judge of each municipal court, whether one or more, each of whom shall be a magistrate and shall have the qualifications and serve the term of office prescribed in the first paragraph of this section.

If any judge of a municipal court announces candidacy, or in fact becomes a candidate, in any general, special, or primary election, for any elective public office, at a time when the unexpired term of the judge's office exceeds one year, the judge's announcement or candidacy is an automatic resignation of the office of municipal judge.

Amendment note: Section 2 appears as amended at the election of May 13, 2006. This section had been previously amended at the elections of April 7, 1973, and May 4, 2002.

Source: Ord. No. 20180809-113 , Pt. 7, 8-20-18/election of 11-6-18.