It was a brief government shutdown.

After coming into the new year with no incumbents and only one supervisor elected to lead the township, Sheffield will be holding an organizational meeting today at 6 p.m. following the court appointment of two new supervisors. The organizational meeting will be followed by a regular meeting.

James Vile and James Leichtenberger will join Matt Bell on the three member board, providing a full slate of supervisors.

Late last year, sitting supervisors Jeff Labesky and Nate Lindberg resigned, while Jay Fitch lost his re-election bid to Bell. Lindberg’s resignation was effective Dec. 23, while Labesky rescinded an earlier resignation effective date and extended his time until Dec. 30 to allow passage of a township budget before the end of the year.

The result was a period in which the township could conduct no official business due to a lack of a quorum, or a majority of voting members, present at any meeting. Under Pennsylvania state law, a township board of supervisors can be comprised of three or five members, with three being the standard.

In fact, the lack of quorum prevented the township from even holding its annual organizational meeting or paying monthly bills.

Title 53 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated statutes does provide for appointments to fill vacancies.

If a majority of members of a governing body remain, they can make appointments to fill a position. If less than a majority remain, they are permitted to appoint members by majority vote of remaining members until a majority of total seats are filled and then appoint additional members. However, Bell was not officially a supervisor at the time of the resignations.

This created a situation requiring the courts to step in.

Under state law, “if by reason of a tie vote or otherwise, the vacancy shall not have been filled by the remaining members of municipal council” the court of common pleas may appoint individuals to fill vacancies, but it can’t act alone. In order for the court appointment process to begin, the court must receive a petition by at least ten “qualified electors” – voters registered within the jurisdiction of the governing body to which the appointments are to be made.

Earlier this week, the township was informed the court had received petitions with the required number of signatures to appoint Leichtenberger and Vile.

Township Administrator Kristi Kulka-Leichtenberger expressed surprise at the speed at which the appointment was made. She had previously been told the process could take up to a month once petitions for qualified candidates were filed with the court.

“I don’t know how they got it through that fast but they did,” she said.

In all, the shutdown lasted only 12 days from Labesky’s resignation to a quorum being restored.