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Committee recommends appointing Hermiston municipal judge to widen candidate pool
Summary
The committee proposed replacing the elected municipal court judge with an appointed judge (still requiring attorney qualifications), saying local candidate supply has shrunk; several residents urged keeping the judge elected for accountability.
The Charter Review Committee recommended changing Hermiston's municipal court judge from an elected position to an appointed position, citing concerns that the current elected model limits the pool of qualified candidates because fewer attorneys now practice and reside in the city.
"We're really limiting our pool of potential municipal court judge candidates by having it restricted to somebody getting elected from within the city," Mr. Smith said, summarizing the committee's rationale. The draft would preserve professional qualifications (a licensed attorney) but allow the council and city manager to appoint a judge, potentially under contract or an RFP-style process.
Several residents urged retaining an elected judge as an accountability mechanism. Jackie Linton told the committee, "I would like to see the judge continue to be voted in by the people for the simple fact I think that will help the citizens of Hermiston kind of be involved." Nate Rivera made a similar point about accountability. The committee heard from the municipal judge, who also supported the recommendation, according to committee members.
If the council accepts the committee's recommendation, it would decide how to structure appointments and any contract or selection process. The draft preserves the council's ultimate hiring and firing authority over the court function while clarifying day-to-day supervision arrangements.
