CENTER TWP — The township next week will fill the vacancy on its board of supervisors left by the death of one of its supervisors earlier this month.

Supervisor Andrew Erie died Oct. 3. at the age of 77, leaving an open seat on the five-member board.

That seat will be filled with an appointment made by the board, and the new member will serve until after the public votes for a replacement in the 2017 election.

The upcoming election on Nov. 3 will not be used to fill the role because the vacancy on the board must occur more than 60 days before an election, according to the Second Class Township Code.

Solicitor Michael Gallagher said the board has 30 days from the time of Erie’s death to find a replacement.

The board will have a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday to name a replacement.

The new member will require a 3-1 majority vote by the board. Should the board be unable to pick a replacement within 30 days, the decision will go to the township’s vacancy board, which includes the supervisors plus an already agreed upon resident.

Center Township’s appointed member is Charlie Moorhead.

Should the vacancy board not be able to make a decision in 15 days, Chairman Ed Latuska would petition Butler County court to fill the vacancy.

Supervisors did not say whether they will select from the two candidates currently running for supervisor in this year’s election.

Ron Flatt, who previously served on the board for 18 years, is running on the Republican ticket while Mark Lauer, who previously worked as the township’s public works director, is campaigning as a Democrat.

One seat — currently held by Ken Frenchak — is open this year.

Flatt most recently served as chairman of the board in 2013, but did not seek re-election that year.

Lauer retired from his township job in January, the same night he was placed on a probationary status by the board for unspecified reasons.

If the board appoints one of the candidates to fill the vacant seat, it would leave the other candidate running unopposed.

Erie’s term was set to end in 2020.