Twelve people, including some prominent political figures, want to be the new Aurora town councilman when the Town Board appoints someone for one year to fill the seat recently vacated by Kelly Wahl.

At a special meeting Monday, the board identified the residents who submitted resumes in the last week and asked to be appointed for the upcoming year. The board will not interview candidates but said individual councilmen will talk one-on-one to decide who would be best for the post.

One candidate was rejected; he doesn’t live in the town.

Despite earlier pleas by some residents to allow the incoming board under Supervisor- elect Jolene Jeffe to appoint Wahl’s successor for 2010, the current four-member board under Supervisor Dwight Krieger will make that decision.

Wahl, who had been living outside of Aurora when she resigned Nov. 18, said she quit because of too many obligations. A day after her resignation, she was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

The board expects to vote on the appointment during a special meeting at 7 p. m. Monday in the town’s Gleed Avenue building. That’s the same night East Aurora Mayor Clark Crook is expected to start discussions with the Village Board about dissolving the village government.

Town leaders indicated they expect the appointed councilman to be sworn in Dec. 14.

Krieger defended the decision for the current board to fill the vacancy and return the board to its five-member status.

“The big issue is we have one-twelfth of the year to go and need the odd number to make a decision,” Krieger said. “Whether we’re lame ducks or not, it’s our responsibility to take care of town business while we’re in office. It’s our job and our responsibility.”

The 11 candidates are: retired town recreation employee Timothy Heinrich, who lost his bid for a board seat in the November election; Roycroft sales director David Majka; Christopher Miller, who is active with the Aurora Arsenals Soccer League; town Planning Board members James Griffis and James Bach; Craig Thrasher of the East Aurora Fire Department; environmental attorney and community activist Arthur Giacalone; West Falls resident Ronald Eckert; Brian Schumacher, a longtime Aurora GOP member; Deborah Carr- Hoagland, attorney and Aurora library board president; and Robert Ruffner, a realty agent at Century 21 and former Aurora GOP chairman and former village trustee.