The Town of Essex will turn to residents to fill its vacant council seat.
In a special meeting that only lasted 13 minutes Monday night, councillors agreed to open the Ward 3 vacancy to registered voters from the area. The move is the latest in a chain of events set in motion by the resignation of Mayor Larry Snively following his guilty plea on violating provincial election laws.
Councillors had already granted Richard Meloche a promotion from deputy mayor to the mayor. Previous Ward 3 councillor Steve Bjorkman was appointed to take the deputy mayor's seat, leaving one of the two Ward 3 seats open. The other is occupied by Councillor Chris Vander Doelen.
According to the report released by town clerk Robert Auger, several options were provided. The options included choosing a candidate who ran in the 2018 municipal election, taking general applications, and appointment through an "at-large" nomination process.
A by-election was almost immediately ruled out due to the costly expense, as well as the timing, with the next municipal election set for October of this year.
The clerk's report called for a two-week application process effective Tuesday, though there was no official word on the timetable for filling the seat as of Monday night.
Meloche, Bjorkman, and the successful Ward 3 councillor will serve in their current positions until the October election. Ward 4 Councillor Sherry Bondy has already announced her intention to run for mayor.
