Kudos to Butler City Council for the selection of Fred Reese for the open position on city council.

The council was forced to select a replacement following the passing of Councilman Mike Walter last month. It was the second position that needed to be filled this year as Mayor Bob Dandoy had been a councilman prior to being elected mayor.

In filling that earlier seat, the council had gone with “new blood,” someone without experience on council, but this time found it better to go with Mr. Reese due to his prior experience in the role of city councilman.

Reese brings an extensive knowledge of the city, prior experience on council and a real vested interest from the perspective of a business owner.

The council did have six other city residents to choose from, and we salute those who were willing to put their name in for consideration. More people need to take active roles in the city and the community. Hopefully city council will find ways to use these other applicants for the betterment of the city by placing them on committees and authorities. Some positions have not been filled in recent years, and when the positions are open, the city suffers from the lack of diverse opinions. Giving new people an opportunity to serve and to learn can only help us down the road.

— RV