Mayor Ted Wheeler has signed an executive order reassigning Commissioner Nick Fish's bureau assignments to himself. Fish, who died from cancer Thursday, January 2, oversaw Portland Parks and Recreation and the Bureau of Environmental Services.

Fish announced he'd be resigning from City Council mid-term on December 31. According to Kristen Dennis, Wheeler's chief of staff, Fish and Wheeler had already discussed the future of Fish's bureaus following his resignation.

"We have the benefit of being able to issue an Executive Order that reflects how he wanted the work to continue," Dennis wrote in an email announcing the order.

A special election to appoint Fish's predecessor will take place on May 19, coinciding with the local primary election. If a candidate doesn't win by more than 50 percent of the vote, the city will hold a runoff election on August 11.

Several Portlanders (a few with serious name recognition) have already begun quietly considering a run for Fish's empty seat.

Fish's staff are expected to continue working on assignments and bureau projects that began under their late boss' tenure, and report to Wheeler's office. According to Sonia Schmanski, Fish's chief of staff, they'll continue working up until the new commissioner enters office.

Schmanski told the Mercury that she hopes the city retains her fellow staffers' talent. "They're excellent, and we're lucky to have them," she said.