Departing councillor's seat could remain empty for months

He won re-election a mere 13 weeks ago, but Tobi Nussbaum is now packing up his office to move on to his next job, leaving his ward searching for a new representative at city hall.

The outgoingcouncillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe was appointedCEO of the National Capital Commission shortly after being sworn in for his second term on council.

He's expected to hand in his official resignation Friday.

"I am extremely grateful to residents of the ward for both supporting my efforts at city hall and, more importantly, generously investing their own energies into building stronger communities," Nussbaum wrote in a statement issued Thursday.

"It has been the greatest privilege to represent the citizens ofRideau-Rockcliffeat City Hall since I was first elected in 2014."

Nussbaum starts his new job at the NCC on Feb. 4.

Nussbaum's current staff will continue to work on ward issues while a handful of council colleaguespitch in to deal withpolitical matters.

Those councillors must be chosen and approved by council, but Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury, Alta Vista Coun. Jean Cloutier and Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney are likely candidates because of their proximity to Nussbaum's ward.

Once that's settled, council will need to decide how it plans tol fill the empty seat.

Now hiring

To choose Nussbaum's permanent replacement, councillors have two options, as laid out in the Municipal Act and confirmed by the city clerk: they can either appoint a new councillor or hold a byelection.

To qualify, any appointee wouldneed to be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, and own or rent land in Ottawa.

If council decides to take that unlikely option, the city will have to work up an application and interview process to hire the new councillor.

Under the more likely scenario, voters in Rideau-Rockcliffe will head back to the polls, just months after the last vote.

By law, the latest a byelection could take place is the end of June.

It will all depend on how quickly councillors pick an option, and when the city clerk announces the nomination.

Still, it means Nussbaum's seat will almost certainly be vacant for the biggest vote of the year: the city budget, which will be approved in March.