Members of the Municipal Democratic Committee are scheduled to meet Saturday to vote for three nominees to City Council as possible interim mayor for 2018.

The governing body has 30 days to fill the mayoral vacancy but is likely to make the appointment at its next regular meeting on Monday night.

Jan. 7 UPDATE: The three nominees selected were 6th Ward Councilman Raymond Giacobbe, Jr., Democratic Committee Vice Chair Delores Parson and Democratic Committee Secretary Derron Palmer.

Mayor Samson Steinman resigned, effective Dec. 24, with a year remaining on his four-year term, making for a deadline of Jan. 23 to fill the vacancy. City Council isn’t scheduled to meet again until Feb. 12.

The Municipal Democratic Committee has 15 days from the Dec. 24 resignation (no later than Jan. 8) to present the governing body with as many as three nominees to serve the remaining 12 months of Steinman’s term. City Council then has 15 days (no later than Jan. 22) to select an interim mayor from among the three nominees presented, according to state law.

The Democratic Committee’s Executive Committee will screen candidates interested in serving the unexpired term on Friday, then make recommendations to the 48-member committee when it meets on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Luciano’s Ristorante on Main Street.

Steinman won a four-year term in 2014, more than a year after being appointed as interim mayor. Since the mayor’s seat is held by a Democrat and it’s too late in the term for a special election, an interim mayor will be appointed to serve the rest of the term. Democrats also hold a 9-0 majority on the governing body.

Sixth Ward Councilman Raymond Giacobbe, Jr. of Harbienko Court was appointed City Council president during Tuesday night’s annual reorganization meeting. He also served as council president during 2017 and seems to be a leading contender to be interim mayor. Fourth Ward Councilman David Brown of East Stearns Street was appointed vice president of the council.

Giacobbe first was appointed to the 6th Ward Council seat in 2013, when Steinman, who also was 6th Ward representative and City Council president, was elevated to interim mayor to serve the remainder of Rick Proctor’s mayoral term. Giacobbe was elected in 2014 to the remaining two years of Steinman’s 6th Ward term and won a full four-year term in 2016 when all six ward seats were unopposed in the General Election.

The mayor’s seat is up for election this year, with nominating petitions to run in the June primary due by April.