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City attorney: mayor appoints municipal judge; removal allowed only for cause — council discusses oversight
Summary
City Attorney Bob Gifford explained that under the Pueblo charter the mayor appoints the municipal court judge subject to council confirmation and may remove a judge only for cause; councilors debated whether oversight should shift to council or remain with the mayor.
City Attorney Bob Gifford told Pueblo City Council on Monday that the city charter vests appointment of the municipal court judge in the mayor with council confirmation and that municipal judges are appointed for two-year terms and may be removed by the mayor only for cause.
Gifford read the charter provision aloud during a work-session discussion prompted by a councilor’s question about whether council oversight could be expanded. “Each municipal judge shall be appointed by the mayor for a term of two years and may be removed by the mayor for cause,” Gifford said, summarizing the charter’s current text.
Councilors debated whether shifting oversight of the municipal judge’s hiring and removal to the council would improve separation of powers and accountability. Councilor Roger Gomez said some communities place municipal-court oversight with the council to increase checks on executive power. Others, including Councilor Maestri and Councilor Boston, voiced concern that placing hiring and firing power with council might politicize the role and create burdensome turnover.
No formal action was taken Monday. Several councilors requested additional research comparing how other Colorado cities with a strong-mayor form of government handle municipal-judge appointments and performance oversight. City Attorney Gifford and staff said they would gather comparative examples to inform any future charter or code proposals.
The discussion was part of a broader set of proposed charter changes and ballot-initiative topics under consideration during the meeting.
