COLUMBUS – The Town of Columbus plans to appoint an interim supervisor in February who would represent the municipality in county government decision-making this year.

The appointment is made necessary with the unexpected resignation Jan. 7 of Supervisor George G. Coates. Coates left following his board’s decision to accept a contractor’s bid and proceed with a building project.

Deputy Supervisor Elizabeth Vermeulen also resigned her position last week. She is the town’s bookkeeper and a member of the Planning Board. Her husband, Town Councilman Bruce Vermeulen, assumed the deputy supervisor role.

Town law precludes deputy supervisors from voting during meetings of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors or its standing committees. Because a special election for supervisor can’t be held until the fall, an interim supervisor would have to be appointed.

No candidates have been presented to the town board for consideration. The new deputy supervisor said he had no plans to throw is name in, but commented that Columbus right now “is in a very fluid environment where anything could happen.”