Council hears first reading to align municipal court judge term with current practice

The City of Republic took the first reading of an ordinance amending Title 1 (Government Code) to align municipal court judge terms and appointment language with current practice. City staff explained the changes are primarily administrative: the municipal code still references a two-year statutory term for municipal judges, while the city has used one-year contracts for judges. Staff said the proposed amendments replace the outdated two-year reference, confirm the one-year contract practice, and clarify the mayor's duties in the selection and appointment language without changing the substantive appointment process. Staff presented the proposed redline to the council and noted that the edits are intended to bring the written code into alignment with operational practice. Council had no questions during the first-reading discussion. The item advanced on first reading with an 8-0 vote. Because the changes are described by staff as housekeeping — clarifying term length and mayoral responsibilities but not altering the appointment procedure — the ordinance will return for additional readings before final adoption.