The Staunton City Council will lose one of its members in January, and it's facing some criticism with how it will pick a replacement.

Richard "Dickie" Bell is leaving the council to take a seat on the Virginia House of Delegates. The council is taking applications to fill Bell's seat until a special election can be held.

Council members expect a large number of applications for the job. Voters will select a long-term replacement in May.

However, picking an interim replacement is up to the remaining council members, and they say that's the only way they can do it.

Staunton's Vice Mayor David Metz says, "The state code says that council is obligated to appoint somebody and if they do not appoint somebody then the circuit court will step in and they will appoint somebody."

Metz says the council expects the open interim application process to be a pre-campaigning time for those who will run for Bell's council seat in May.