The West Point City Council met briefly Tuesday to hear from three candidates for the vacant position on the city council.

Amanda James, DeeDee Williams and Tracy Bandy all spoke before the council Tuesday.

“I love this town. I love the work everyone has done in this town to help it grow,” James said. “I would love to be able to help that growth.”

Williams said she wants the city to grow, prosper, and become more diverse after serving in several capacities in the city government. 

“I would like to be a part of being the best that we can be in this city,” she said. (I) love West Point.”

Bandy, the final candidate, said he got his first job with the city of West Point.

“I love my city and I want serve,” Bandy said.

The open council position was formerly held by Benjamin Wilcox, who stepped down from his seat on Jan. 14 after accepting the position of West Point municipal court assistant judge.

In council discussion held back in January, the council expressed an interest to have the newest member in place by the council’s mid-February retreat.

However, the ultimate decision was reached at tha time that such a timeline was too tight to ensure the correct decision was made.

“I know we’d like to get this person in before the retreat, but also we’ve got to be mindful that we are making a really important decision,” Councilman Henry Hutchinson said at the time. “I don’t see the rush. If we’re going to do it effectively, we should take the time to make sure we ask good questions before we make a decision.”

The council will now be faced with deciding between the three available candidates to fill the position left open by Wilcox.