bvelliquette@heraldsun.com; 918-1042
CARRBORO -- The Carrboro Board of Aldermen are likely to appoint Sammy Slade, who was just elected to the board, to fill a vacancy on the board.
Slade placed second in the election for three seats on the Board of Aldermen in Tuesday's election. Incumbents Jacquelyn Gist and Randee Haven-O'Donnell were re-elected to their seats, and Slade was elected to a vacant seat caused by the resignation in August of John Herrera, who resigned because he was moving out of Carrboro.
When Herrera resigned, the aldermen decided against appointing anyone to fill the vacancy, saying they would let the voters decide in the November election.
Slade would normally have to wait until Dec. 1 to be sworn in and begin serving on the board.
Now that Slade has been elected, Mayor Mark Chilton said there's no reason not to immediately appoint him to fill the vacancy so he can begin working with the other aldermen.
"It looks like we probably will do that," he said. "I haven't heard any objection or any reason why not to."
The aldermen have a work session scheduled for Tuesday.
Chilton expects the board likely will appoint Slade at the beginning of the work session so he will be able to participate in that work session and in the two or three meetings scheduled for the rest of the month.
"Obviously it will be up to the board," he said. "Nobody has given me any indication why not."
In the election, Gist received 1,515 votes, Slade received 1,471 votes, and Haven-O'Donnell 1,459 votes. The fourth- and fifth-place finishers received 906 and 695 votes.
