Davis County's House District 16 seat will sit empty until January after the Davis County Republican Party chose not to fill the vacancy left by Trevor Lee's Sept. 28 resignation.

Commission Chair Bob Stevenson, who defeated Lee in the June Republican primary and is running for the seat in the Nov. 3 general election, said he and party leaders agreed the county's budget process takes priority. Stevenson has served on the three-member Davis County Commission since 2019.

He told the Davis Journal that he, the party and House Speaker Mike Schultz discussed whether it was wise to leave the commission "in such a short period of time, especially when we're in the middle of our budget process." Losing one of three commissioners mid-budget would be disruptive, Stevenson said.

Unlike county vacancies, which state law requires parties to fill within 30 days, there is no deadline for replacing a state legislator, according to Stevenson. No legislative votes are scheduled during the gap. He said an adjustment could be made quickly if something came up.

The final decision on the vacancy hinges on the general election. If Stevenson wins, he would take office in January as the new District 16 representative, making a short-term appointment unnecessary. Lee's current term ends in December.

Lee had held the seat since January 2023. He resigned after being charged with four felonies: communications fraud and mortgage fraud, both second-degree felonies, plus forgery and possession of a forgery device, both third-degree felonies.

According to ABC4, court documents allege Lee forged a company CEO's signature to obtain a $1 million housing loan. The loan application allegedly included $93,000 in cash advances Lee had requested from the company to inflate his income. Lee also allegedly told the CEO he would secure a government contract with Hill Air Force Base to make the company whole.

Lee is scheduled to appear in Third District Court on Wednesday, Oct. 28.