Los Ranchos board moves to publish ordinance raising municipal judge pay from $50 to $150 a session

Mayor Lawrence Rael called a Dec. 1 special meeting of the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Board of Trustees where the board moved to publish Ordinance 305, a proposal to raise municipal judge compensation.

The village attorney, Attorney Chapel, told trustees the pay had not been updated since about 1985 and said, “the compensation level selected in this ordinance by the village is $150 per session,” up from the current $50 per session. Chapel said the ordinance preserves existing expense reimbursements and explained the timing: because elected sitting officials cannot vote on pay increases that would apply to them, the change is being advertised now and will return for final consideration on Dec. 16.

During public comment David Montoya said he supported the raise and urged the board to consider broader compensation changes for trustees and the mayor, arguing that low pay can keep working‑age people from seeking office. Trustees discussed the idea of a future review of trustee and mayor compensation but treated that as a separate policy question.

Trustees moved and seconded the request to publish Ordinance 305. The motion to advertise the ordinance carried by voice vote; no formal roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. The board will hold the public hearing and potential adoption on Dec. 16, when any final changes must be considered.

Next steps: the ordinance will be published and the board will take public testimony at the advertised Dec. 16 hearing before voting on adoption.