Those interested in filling the Bristol City Council seat vacated by Becky Nave will be questioned by the four remaining members Tuesday night during the open portion of the council meeting.
The deadline to apply for the position was 4:30 p.m. Monday. Interim City Manager Tamrya Spradlin said a total of seven candidates applied; she declined to release their names, saying they haven’t been presented to council members yet. Mayor Jake Holmes said Monday afternoon that most of the candidates he’s seen are women.
Nave, who was first appointed to the council in 2021, announced on Jan. 28 that she was resigning effective Jan. 31 due to a promotion that will require her to spend more time in Richmond and involve more travel. Currently the director of destination development with the Virginia Tourism Corp., she is moving March 2 into a new role as its vice president of partnership marketing.
The council has 30 days from the effective date of the resignation to appoint a replacement. The candidates will each be asked a series of questions, including why they’re interested in serving as a council member and what their vision is for the city, Holmes said.
During a closed session Tuesday night, council members will then whittle the number of candidates down. At the next meeting on Feb. 24, council will talk further with the finalists in closed session, the mayor said.
The person chosen will serve the remaining three years of Nave’s four-year term. The election for the seat will be in November 2028.
The city has a lot of important decisions coming up, including choosing a new city manager and a city attorney. It will also soon start the budget process for the next fiscal year and will deal with ongoing repairs to the city’s landfill, which has had serious odor issues for years.
The meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at city hall, 300 Lee St. Here’s the agenda.
