(a) Establishment. There is hereby established a municipal court vested with exclusive original jurisdiction of all cases arising under the Charter and the ordinances of the City of Aurora.

(b) Municipal court judges. Each judge of the municipal court shall have been a member of the bench or bar of Colorado for at least five (5) years before appointment. The city council shall be authorized to appoint a presiding judge who shall report directly to the city council on matters affecting the judiciary which shall include the judges, court bailiffs, and court reporters, or that staff which is from time to time assigned to support the municipal court judges. The terms of office of the various categories of municipal judges shall be as follows: Full-time—4 years; permanent part-time—2 years; relief—2 years. The salaries and benefits accruing to the municipal judges shall be established by council on an annual basis. If the council does not reappoint a full-time judge, the council shall cause to be paid forthwith any unpaid balance of the judge's salary for the month in which the term of office expires, plus a salary equal to three (3) months' compensation. The city council shall be authorized to promulgate by ordinance procedures for the hiring, retention and discipline, including appeals therefrom, for the municipal judges.

(c) Rules of procedure. Rules of procedure shall be enacted by the council upon recommendation of the presiding judge.

(d) Court administration. There is hereby created and established an administrative unit entitled "court administration" which shall be directed by a court administrator together with support personnel as the budget may provide from year to year. The court administrator shall be appointed and removed by the city council. However, the city council may, by ordinance, delegate its appointment and removal authority to another officer or entity. The court administrator shall be responsible for providing the necessary administrative services to the municipal court other than those services and oversight of staff provided by the presiding judge per Charter section 10-4(b). The court administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the city council and shall not be considered a career service employee with disciplinary review rights. (Ord. No. 87-200, § 1, 11-3-1987; Ord. No. 91-43, § 1, 11-13-1991)