Loomis Town Council decides to appoint Carroll replacement

Rather than call a special election, Loomis officials have opted to appoint a temporary replacement for the beloved Town Treasurer Roger Carroll, who was killed in a hit-and-run bicycle accident on April 8. A special Town Council meeting was called Tuesday night to take official action on Carroll's replacement. Staff recommended a one-year appointment, as a special election would cost $60,000 and a victor would only hold office until the 2024 regular election. "The council adopted staff's recommendation on moving to appoint an interim treasurer," Town Manager Sean Rabe said Tuesday night. Staff reported there is no specific replacement process required by state law. A notice of vacancy was scheduled to be posted on the town's website, in social media and local media Wednesday. Qualified Loomis individuals interested in being appointed to the vacant position should complete an application and deliver it to Town Hall no later than May 1. The Loomis Town Council will then consider all applications and make an appointment at the May 9 regular monthly meeting, according to the staff report. An avid bicyclist, Carroll, 62, was struck on his bicycle by an SUV while training for a triathlon in the backroads of Sutter County on April 8. The motorist reportedly fled the scene but Yuba-Sutter California Highway Patrol officers later arrested a suspect, Harpreet Singh Atwal, 35 of Plumas Lake. Atwal faces charges of hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter, the CHP said. The Sutter County District Attorney's Office said Monday that the office is "doing some additional investigation" but anticipates filing charges "soon." "Once we file, he (Atwal) will be given an arraignment date," the Sutter DA said on Monday.