OXFORD – There will be two vacant selectmen’s seats at the beginning of the new year.

The remaining three selectmen will decide if they will hold a special election to fill the seats or wait until the June town meeting.

David Ivey is leaving the board because he has moved to Paris. According to the town code, selectmen must be residents.

Ivey has been a selectman for six years. He announced his resignation at Thursday’s meeting, effective Jan. 1.

Caldwell Jackson plans to leave the board because he was elected county commissioner in last week’s general election.

Jackson has been a selectman for 11 years.

He has not made an official announcement of his resignation yet, but said he will in the coming month. He will be sworn in as commissioner Jan. 1.

According to the town code, the only way to fill a vacancy is by election. There is no time limit for filling the seat.

Town officials have not decided how they will proceed. Chairman Scott Owens said the advantage of waiting until town meeting is that more people will be present, and there will likely be more candidates for the seat.

The town needs three members at meetings to have a quorum. That means that with only three people on the board, if one is absent the town can’t do business.

Ivey’s term expires in June 2007. Jackson said he has two years left on his term.

Ivey said he has no immediate plans to get involved Paris town government, but he does plan to run for state Legislature in the coming years.

Ivey said he will miss being a selectman in Oxford, but he found a better deal for property in Paris.

“I’ll always consider Oxford my home,” he said.