Item Coversheet

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA COMMUNICATION
AGENDA DATE:January 10, 2017
SUBJECT:Appoint Cynthia Porter Gore as the Municipal Court Judge and Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement Relating to her Appointment.
STAFF RESOURCE:Peter H. Vargas, City Manager
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:Section 3.08 of the City Charter requires the City Council appointment of a Municipal Court Judge.  The current Municipal Court Judge, Linda Hopper, has communicated her intent to retire at the end of her current contract slated for December 31, 2016.
ACTION PROPOSED:Appoint Cynthia Porter Gore as the Municipal Court Judge and Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement Relating to her Appointment.



BACKGROUND

The City of Allen currently has a Municipal Court Judge, Linda Hopper.  Judge Hopper's current two year contract will expire at the end of December 2016.  She has communicated her intent to retire as Municipal Court Judge for the city at the end of her current contract, thereby, creating a vacancy in the position.

 

After conducting an extensive recruitment process for the next Municipal Court Judge the applicant pool was reduced to three finalists for face-to-face interviews.  The finalist for Municipal Court Judge, Cynthia Porter Gore is currently serving as the City's Alternate Municipal Court Judge.  As Alternate Court Judge, Ms. Gore has been performing judicial services on scheduled weekends for the City and also presiding over Teen Court since 2010. 

 

Ms. Gore is an Allen resident and attorney who has previously served as Associate Municipal Judge in The Colony.  She is Board Certified in Juvenile Law and Criminal Law.  She has prosecuted misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile crimes.  She is a founding member of the Juvenile Law Section of the Collin County Bar Association.  Her law practice focuses on juvenile law, criminal defense, and CPS litigation. 

 

The proposed contract stipulates an annual performance review and includes an adjustment to the compensation to be effective for each year.  Attached is a two-year professional services agreement relating to the appointment of Cynthia Porter Gore performing duties as the Municipal Court Judge with an initial contract expiration on December 31, 2018.  Subsequent renewals to this agreement will be for two-year terms with the dates coinciding with the calendar year.


BUDGETARY IMPACT

The Municipal Court budget will cover the costs associated with the Municipal Court Judge contract.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends the City Council appoint Cynthia Porter Gore as the Municipal Court Judge and authorize the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement relating to her appointment. The agreement is effective on January 11, 2017 and expires on December 31, 2018. 


MOTION

I make a motion to appoint Cynthia Porter Gore as the Municipal Court Judge and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement relating to her appointment.

ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Employment Agreement Cynthia Porter Gore