Council approves municipal court ordinance revisions on first reading

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to approve first reading of Ordinance 25-15, a set of municipal court code revisions intended to remove outdated language, clarify qualifications for special judges and adjust court cost language.

Finance Director Jason Barnes explained the package of edits, which remove obsolete concurrent-jurisdiction provisions, add qualifications for special judges who sit temporarily in place of the elected judge, update fines and court costs to reflect a state change and remove an embedded schedule of fees that staff and consultants recommended eliminating. Barnes said some language dated from prior court structures and no longer matches how the city operates.

Municipal Judge Zanger responded to a council question about residency requirements for special judges, saying that substitute judges statewide are typically qualified attorneys who need not live inside the city but are expected to meet age and licensing thresholds. "These things come up quickly and we can't always find a lawyer who's living in the city to make themselves available," he said, explaining why the city proposes allowing nonresident qualified attorneys to serve on rare occasions.

Council members moved, seconded and approved the ordinance changes on first reading. Officials said the revisions reflect current practice and state law constraints and that the city will continue collaborating with the municipal judge and court clerk on final language before final adoption.