LINDEN &8212; At their first meeting since the death of Mayor Pat Vice, the City Council voted to officially vacate the mayor&8217;s office, a formal step that must be done before anyone else can take over the position.

The next steps the council will take will be to appoint a new person as mayor, which will be done at their next meeting on July 15. One person that has been considered for the temporary post is Mayor Pro-Tem Butch King.

King said council members have approached him about the position, and he would gladly fill the role for the remainder of the term. Whether or not he will remain longer than that, however, remains to be seen.

King has served four terms as a councilman for district two, a total of 16 years.

If the council decides to appoint King, they will then have to appoint a person to fill his then empty seat.

Also on Tuesday came the closing of the first day of qualifying for the city&8217;s elected officials, a process that will continue until July 15. Elections will be on Aug. 26.

City Administrator Cheryl Hall reported that so far two people have submitted paperwork for mayor &8212; Mitzi Gates and Charles Moore &8212; and two for council positions &8212; Neal Jackson and Richard Lankster.

Gates currently serves on the city council and is also a teacher at Linden High School. Moore is a former county commissioner. Jackson is running for re-election in his district and Lankster is seeking the position for district 3, which is currently held by William Curry.