Court Administrator

Summary

Performs managerial-level quasi-judicial administrative work. He/she functions as the senior level Municipal Court executive officer to the Judge. The Court Administrator assumes responsibility for planning, scheduling and coordinating the activities of the court and oversees the assistant court administrator and the deputy court clerks, and acts as liaison between defendants, police department, and prosecuting attorney. The Court Administrator performs their duties with limited supervision and a considerable level of discretion.

Essential Duties & Required Qualifications

• Assist the Judge in the discharge of his/her duties and relieve him/her of all administrative duties possible, including the preparation of court orders for the signature of the Judge.
• Administer the court’s office, which includes all pre-court and post-court processing.
• Assist the Judge in all Court trials and pre-trials.
• Oversee the participation of the Court in the annual state-wide Warrant Roundup.
• Oversee and/or ensure the maintenance of accurate records.
• Establish procedures to ensure constant knowledge and progress of cases together with full accounting for money transactions.
• Oversee the preparation and management of the Municipal Court department budget.
• Lead interdepartmental court team that deals with Court-related issues, including building relationships with Police, Code Enforcement and Legal to carry out the functions of the Municipal Court.
• Oversee and/or ensure the preparation of required monthly, quarterly and year-end reports.
• Oversee and/or ensure the proper and efficient management of all court correspondence.
• Oversee and/or ensure the preparation of trial calendars and court call sheets.
• Oversee and/or ensure the maintenance of court dockets.
• Maintain familiarity with legislative changes and updating court forms and court procedures and court personnel.
• Serve as the Court’s contact with the public and with party litigants as appropriate.
• Sign or countersign court documents and process as required.
• Administer Oaths when necessary.
• Work with the Presiding Judge when necessary, regarding changes to municipal court fees and fine schedules.
• Oversee and/or ensure the preparation of cases for court; subpoena witnesses; prepare complaints and dockets; communicate with prosecuting attorney.
• Administer the Failure-To-Appear program. Ensure accurate information is reported to Texas DPS.
• Oversee and/or ensure the review of financial records of Court fines and fees collected; ensure accuracy of daily posting to General Ledger.
• Oversee and/or ensure the preparation of the warrant schedule for the Judge’s signature and deliver documents to the Police Department.
• Oversee and/or ensure the preparation of monthly and annual reports to the Department of Public Safety, or other state or federal agencies as required by state or federal statutes.
• Work closely with the Police Department regarding warrant status on a daily basis.
• Oversee and/or ensure the maintenance of records for the Court Bond account activity to include but not limited to posting and submitting a balanced report to the finance department all payment of fines and court costs received.
• Oversee and/or ensure the appropriate preparation of appeals to the County Court when necessary.
• Oversee and/or ensure the accurate preparation of court personnel time sheets for payroll department.
• Stay current with legislative changes as well as attorney general opinions and their relationship to court, update computer for legislative change in laws, policy, and attorney general opinions.
• Oversee and/or ensure effective working relationship with collection agencies in collecting delinquent fines.
• Be able to perform any of the duties of the Deputy Court Clerk as required.
• Oversee and/or ensure the maintenance of the Municipal Court website.
• Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of a department or function. Performs supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
• Supervise one or more direct reports, including interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work, appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints and resolving problems.
• Perform any other duties as required.

• Master's degree in a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Six or more years related experience or training.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to follow detailed verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as procedure manuals.
• Ability to communicate with other employees and the general public in a courteous and diplomatic manner.
• Skill in handling multiple tasks and prioritizing.
• Analyze situations and adopt quick, effect, and reasonable courses of action.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques of scheduling work assignments; methods and techniques for record keeping and report preparation and writing.
• Skill in directing the activities of a complex and diverse organization.
• Skill in using computers and related software applications.
• Skill in data analysis and problem solving.
• Ability to plan strategically.
• Ability to plan and schedule operations.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with City employees, the public, elected officials, and boards and commissions.

Physical Demands & Additional Information

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to handle and feel items, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position.

• Proof of education, certification(s) and experience as listed on the employment application based on the job posting requirements.
• Satisfactory results from a pre-employment criminal history background and driving record check.
• to work in the United States without sponsorship. *
• Compliance with the for male US citizens and immigrants, who are ages 18-25.

• 
  The City of Leander participates in E-Verify! Information from each new employee’s Form I-9 will be provided to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to confirm work authorization.

Your well-being and that of your family matters to you, and so it's important to us too. To support you and your loved ones through life's many challenges, we offer our full time employees access to a wide array of benefits including health, dental, vision, life, disability, accident, cancer, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, employee assistance, paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid emergency leave, longevity pay, golf course discounts as well as generous retirement and deferred compensation programs and social security participation.

Medical
We offer two types of medical plans (a traditional PPO plan and a high deductible health plan) so that you can choose the one that best fits your needs. The premium you pay is based on which plan you select and who you cover. Covering just yourself? The City currently pays the entire employee-only premium for either plan. Covering qualified dependents in your family? Currently, we'll pay your employee premium and split the remainder of the spouse/child/family premium with you - we pay 60%; you pay 40%. That generous cost share reflects our philosophy that our employees and their families should have the best health care we can afford to provide.

Dental
Dental plans include a DMO option (no cost for employee-only coverage) and two more traditional plans whose premiums are also affordable. You can choose to cover yourself or any qualified dependents and choose which plan best suits your dental needs. Currently, for the DHMO option, we pay the employee premium and split the remainder of the spouse/child/family premiums with you – we pay 50%; you pay 50%. Under the more traditional plans, although we don't pay the entire employee-only premium, we still split the incremental dependent premiums with you 50/50.

Vision
Access to $10 eye exam co-pays and up to $150 frame and contact lens allowances make vision insurance a popular benefit among employees. Cover yourself for just a few bucks a pay period or all of your qualified dependents for not much more.

Life/AD&D
Your basic employee $15,000 term life insurance policy is paid for by the city. Accidental Death & Dismemberment under the plan would pay an additional $15,000 to your beneficiary if you die in an accident. More life insurance coverage is paid for by the City and provided through our Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) program. If that's still not enough coverage, you can purchase more life/AD&D coverage for yourself and your qualified dependents. Over the age of 65? These coverages are subject to an age reduction schedule.

Disability
Both short and long term disability plans which provide up to 60% income replacement are available to purchase at competitive rates.

Accident & Cancer
Need extra coverage for off-the-job medical injuries or a cancer diagnosis? Supplemental plans that pay cash for some of life's most unexpected events are available for purchase.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Want to set aside some pre-tax dollars for health care expenses or dependent care expenses? If you select the traditional EPO medical coverage, you can set aside pre-tax money for medical expenses through the City's Section 125 medical FSA plan, which is managed by an outside carrier. You can do the same for dependent day care expenses, regardless of which medical plan you select.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
The high deductible health care plan has its own provisions for pre-tax health savings (HSA) so you can set aside money for your qualified health care expenses. The City will add $1000 to your health savings account to get you started each plan year.

Employee Assistance Program
We know that sometimes your needs are much different than a doctor visit or a prescription, so the City pays for a generous employee assistance program through Alliance to help you or any household member with counseling, legal referrals or simply a safe ride home.

Holidays
The City has thirteen designated holidays each year.

Vacation Leave
Most full time, regular employees (excluding firefighters on a 24 hour shift schedule and department heads) accrue 3.69 hours of vacation time each pay period and are eligible to use that time after just six months of employment. The longer you work for the city, the more vacation time you receive, with those accrual rates going up at 4, 9 and 14 years of service. Never use your vacation time? Don't worry; you can bank up to two times your annual accrued hours before you stop accruing.

Sick Leave
As a full time regular employee (excluding firefighters on a 24 hour shift), you accrue 3.69 hours of sick leave each pay period, which you are eligible to use after your first pay period with the city. You can also continue to build your sick leave balance up to 480 hours for those unexpected emergencies.

Emergency Leave
The City allows up to five days of paid leave (or two 24 hour shifts for 24/48 hour fire department) for regular employees in the event of the death of an immediate family member (as defined in city personnel policy).

Longevity Pay
Regular full-time employees after they've been employed for one year or more are eligible for an annual payout of $5 for every month of City service. So, while that first year $60 check might not seem like a ton of money, that $1500 check (minus taxes of course) for your 25 years of service which is paid around Thanksgiving will likely help you feel very thankful for a little extra cash for Christmas shopping.

Retirement
All regular full-time employees participate in our Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). Your 7% investment each payroll period is matched 2 to 1 by the City and is vested at 5 years. You can retire at age 60 with 5 or more years of service or younger if you have at least 20 years of service. You can also receive service credit for certain types of military service. The City's TMRS plan is one of the most generous retirement plans around.

Deferred Compensation
If saving 7% with a 2 to 1 match through TMRS isn't enough to meet your financial goals, you can stash even more on a pre-tax basis through the City's 457 plan. Start or stop saving at any time – up to $18,000 annually if you're under 50, and up to $24,000 if you're older.

Social Security
City of Leander employees also participate in the social security system under FICA regulations.

Golf Course
We have a gorgeous golf course. Want to learn how to play? As a City employee you can play for 50% off. Check it out!