It will be a few weeks, at least, before Craig Lehman's successor can be named to the Lancaster County board of commissioners.
"Obviously, we want to make a decision as expeditiously as possible," but also with appropriate due diligence, President Judge David Ashworth said Friday.
Lehman, who has been a commissioner since 2008, announced Friday he is resigning Jan. 7.
Under state law, it falls to Lancaster County's Court of Common Pleas judges to select his successor. The individual must be of the same party as the outgoing commissioner — a Democrat, in Lehman's case.
The court will likely release an announcement next week that it is accepting applications, Ashworth said, and allow 30 days or so for responses.
In previous instances, applications have been whittled down to four or five finalists. The judges will hold a public forum and interview those individuals one by one, Ashworth said, then subsequently convene and vote. In the event of a tie, the president judge breaks it, he said.
The winner would serve the remainder of Lehman's term, which expires in the first days of 2024.
Under previous practice, which Ashworth said he intends to abide by, individuals have had to affirm that they would not run for re-election, in order to prevent appointees from turning their incumbency to political advantage.
The last Lancaster County commissioner to resign was Pete Shaub, in 2007. He was succeeded by Sharron Nelson, a retired school superintendent. Her term expired the following year, when three new commissioners took office: Lehman and Republicans Dennis Stuckey and Scott Martin.
