The mayor's seat in Essex is now officially vacant.
Council met for the first time Monday night since mayor Larry Snively's resignation.
Snively announced he'd be stepping down on January 12 — less than a week after being issued a $10,000 fine as part of a guilty plea under the Municipal Elections Act.
Council has now declared the mayor's position vacant and has called a special meeting to go over the best way to move forward.
Options on the table include appointing someone to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term or calling a by-election.
Often the runner-up is appointed — that would be Ron Rogers who lost the mayor's race to Snively in the 2018 municipal election by just 117 votes.
Council will discuss the issue at its special meeting on January 24 beginning at 5pm.