At least two Windsor city councillors are in favour of having a by-election to fill the Ward 7 seat, left vacant with Irek Kusmierczyk's jump to federal politics.
Kusmierczyk defeated the NDP's Cheryl Hardcastle in Monday's federal election for the riding of Windsor-Tecumseh.
The last municipal election was held October 22, 2018, leaving another three years in the current mandate and it is up to city council to decide how to fill the vacancy, either with a by-election or appointment.
A by-election can cost between $60,000 to $100,000.
"Three years left in the mandate is a substantial amount of time," says Ward 9 Councillor Kieran McKenzie. "We actually have precedent to go by when Percy Hatfield, who was a sitting member of city council, ironically enough in ward 7, was elected to the provincial parliament there was just over a year left in the mandate."
Kusmierczyk was elected in a by-election in 2013 to replace Percy Hatfield, who ran successfully for the NDP provincially for Windsor-Tecumseh.
McKenzie says Ward 7 residents deserve to have an elected represented.
"Frankly the majority of the people in Ward 7 did not opt to vote for the person who ran second. They had their choice and their choice was Irek Kusmierczyk."
Ward 5 Councillor Ed Sleimann is in favour of a by-election saying this is the price of democracy.
"We just had the election and I think to appoint someone, it is kinda premature to appoint someone for 3.5 years, I think we should have a by-election."
During the October 2018 municipal election, Angelo Marignani came in second with 14% of the vote.
Kusmierczyk had 69 per cent of the vote.