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With the election of Mayor Candace Andersen to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors last week, the possibility has arisen that Andersen could be appointed to fill the late Supervisor Gayle Uilkema's term prior to January 2013. Uilkema died May 19 of ovarian cancer.

Should Andersen be appointed, a vacancy would be created on the Danville Town Council. If that is the case, the town would have two methods of filling the vacancy, reported town officials.

· Appointment: This is not possible in this case since state law prohibits filling a vacancy by appointment if doing so would result in a majority of the council being appointed. Council Members Karen Stepper and Robert Storer were appointed at the end of their previous terms due to being unopposed in the 2010 election.

· Special Election: State law says that any special election should be scheduled at least 114 days after the election is called. Since that timeframe would put it at the same time as the November general election there would be no need to set aside a special election date.

If Mayor Andersen is appointed to the Board of Supervisors, the seat would remain vacant until the November general election, at which time a replacement would be voted in and take office in December 2012.

Andersen's term on the Danville Town Council expires in November as do the terms of Councilmen Newell Arnerich and Mike Doyle.

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