Sec. 2-94. Court Hearing Officers and presiding Court Hearing Officer—Qualifications; term; removal; hearing officers pro tempore; compensation; powers and duties.
A. Court Hearing Officers appointed by the Chief Presiding Judge pursuant to chapter VIII, section 9, of the Phoenix City Charter, must meet the following minimum qualifications at the time of appointment:
1. All qualifications as may be established, from time to time, by the Arizona Supreme Court or as may be required by statute for such officers.
2. In addition to the foregoing, such officers must have either a law degree or a bachelor’s degree with at least three years of experience in the area of traffic law or a related field.
B. Court hearing officers shall be appointed for a term of two years and may only be removed during said term by the Chief Presiding Judge for cause and after a hearing. The Chief Presiding Judge may, in addition, appoint such Court Hearing Officers pro tempore as may be required by the City Court, to serve at the Chief Presiding Judge’s pleasure.
C. A Court Hearing Officer is entitled to receive an annual salary in an amount that equals 70 percent of the annual salary paid to a Judge of the Phoenix City Court and in addition thereto, a Court Hearing Officer shall be entitled to receive the same benefits as provided for in the middle management pay plan of the City of Phoenix. The salary of Court Hearing Officers shall change concurrently with any change in the salary of a Judge of the City Court. Said compensation may not be reduced during the term of office of an incumbent other than the proportion by which salaries of all City employees may be reduced generally.
D. The powers and duties of a court hearing officer shall be those as may be established, from time to time, by the City Charter, ordinance, statute, or the rules of the Arizona Supreme Court, relating to such officers. The City Manager is authorized to exempt Court Hearing Officers from the classified service pursuant to Chapter XXV, Section 5.1.q of the Charter of the City of Phoenix.
E. The Chief Presiding Judge shall designate a court hearing officer as presiding Court Hearing Officer to serve at the Chief Presiding Judge’s pleasure and to perform such duties as the Chief Presiding Judge may delegate. The Presiding Court Hearing Officer shall receive an annual salary in an amount equal to 85 percent of the annual salary of a City Court Judge and, in addition thereto, the Presiding Court Hearing Officer shall be entitled to receive the same benefits as provided for in the middle management pay plan of the City. The salary of the Presiding Court Hearing Officer shall change concurrently with any change in the salary of a Judge of the City Court. (Ord. No. G-2578, § 7; Ord. No. G-4019, § 1, 1997; Ord. No. G-4579, § 2, 2004; Ord. No. G-6941, § 2, 2022)
Charter reference—Appointment of court hearing officers, ch. VIII, § 9.