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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR
Snyder
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/26/07
HB
SHORT TITLE
Increase of Metro & Magistrate Judge Salaries
SB
301
ANALYST C.Sanchez
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$423.1
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Bernalillo Metropolitan Court (BMC)
Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 301 amends Section 34-1-9 NMSA 1978 to increase the salaries of metropolitan
court judges to 95% of the salary of a district judge, instead of 90%. This would also increases
salaries of magistrate court judges since magistrate court judges are paid at 75% of the salary of
a metropolitan court judge.
The current judiciary salary structure for judges provides that a Court of Appeals Judge receives
95% of the salary of an Associate Supreme Court Justice; a District Court Judge receives 95% of
the salary of a Court of Appeals Judge; a Metropolitan Court Judge receives 90% of the salary of
a District Court Judge; and a Magistrate Judge receives 75% of a Metropolitan Court Judge.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 301 – Page
2
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The fiscal impact for the Bernalillo Metropolitan Court would total $119,405 of recurring gen-
eral fund. The fiscal impact for the Magistrate Courts would total $303,720 of recurring general
fund.
This amount will increase every year by whatever amount the Legislature raises judicial salaries.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
This measure is part of the Unified Judicial Budget. Increased salaries may reduce turnover and
vacancy rates, with attendant training costs, in the metropolitan and magistrate courts. Higher
salaries may encourage highly qualified individuals to seek both metropolitan and magistrate po-
sitions.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
Status quo will be maintained.
CS/sb
Current
Salary
No. Curr. Rate NewRate Tot al
Chief Metro Judge
1
95,066
$
100,347
$
6,388
$
Ass oc. Metro Judges 18
93,441
$
98,632
$
113,017
$
Total Metro Cost
119,405
$
Magistr ate Judges
No. Curr. Rate NewRate Tot al
Pres iding Magist rate 2
71,299
$
75,260
$
9,503
$
Assoc. Magistrate 63
70,081
$
73,974
$
294,217
$
Total Magistrate Cost
303,720
$
Tot a l
423,125
$
Effect on
Current Salary