Council members outline why they favor different nominees for vacancy

Council members each named their top two candidates and explained their reasons, providing a view of how preferences clustered around local experience, community ties and prior government service. Several members cited Brett's longtime service with the city's fire department and board experience; others highlighted Rebecca's county-level experience and understanding of budgeting and the council role.

"For me, Brett rises to the top because he, he has a long service record, long record of service for Neosho, his leadership, with the fire department and his current experience on city boards," a council member said. Another council member said Jonathan Van de Graaff was their first choice because he is a young local businessman who "gets things done," while Rebecca was named frequently as a second choice.