A surprise vacancy has left the Champaign City Council undermanned.

David Johnson's resignation from the city council took effect on Tuesday, and here's what is known for sure.

Johnson's District 5 vacancy will be filled at least by May 1. That's the last day of the 60-day deadline state law sets for filling a vacancy of this nature.

Beyond that, there are more unknowns than knowns. Council members met Tuesday evening to discuss the appointment process, and they're expected to follow their past practice of full disclosure and public interviews before voting on the issue.

The public is fortunate in one respect. It will be no great surprise if strong candidates throw their hat into the ring.

Running for office can be a tough and ugly business. That's why all those who step up to accept that challenge deserve the public's respect. Unfortunately, sometimes too few decide to take on the rigors of a campaign, denying the public a real choice in filling important local offices.

But filling an elected office by appointment is a different matter. Generally, there is no shortage of applicants. In 1997, there were seven applicants to fill a vacant at-large council seat. Given that this is a district seat, the number probably won't be as large this time. In 2005, there were three candidates to fill a vacant District 4 seat.

Three current council members – Tom Bruno, Deb Feinen and Marci Dodds – were appointed to fill vacancies before being elected on their own. When Jerry Schweighart was elected mayor, he vacated a district council seat that then was filled by appointment. So there is nothing new or mysterious about the process.

Since Johnson, who is leaving to take a job in Cleveland, was elected to the council in early 2009, the appointment will be relatively brief, concluding in early 2011. The remaining two years of Johnson's term then will be filled by election.

That, however, is an issue for another day. The city's job now is to accept and review the applications, allow time for a public vetting of applicant backgrounds, conduct candidate interviews and make a decision. If past is prologue, the process will be relatively easy to follow and the council will make a solid choice on behalf of the residents of District 5 in southwest Champaign.