LANGLEY — Picking the people they don’t agree with was the easy part for the Langley City Council.

The council quickly and unanimously selected three residents on Monday to be the “pro” committee in the August election where voters will be asked to switch to a council-manager form of government in Langley.

The seemingly slick pick was speedy thanks to just three applicants for the job, one where a trio is needed to write the statement supporting the switch for the Primary Election voters’ guide. The “pro” appointees — Edgecliff residents Bruce Kortebein, Daniel Prewitt and Barbara Seitle — have until June 27 to craft the argument in favor of Proposition 1.

A majority of the city council has repeatedly stressed they hope Prop. 1 (a proposal to have the city adopt a council-manager form of government and eliminate the option of a mayor picked by the people) fails at the ballot box. So for this week’s decision on committees, then, the council was also hoping to pick a winning combo from the six volunteers ready to write the “no” statement for the voters’ guide: former mayor Neil Colburn, Craig Carty, Ursula Roosen-Runge, David Gignac, Marty Fernandez and Jim Sundberg, chairman of the city’s Planning Advisory Board.

Council members admitted they had a talented field and a tough choice.

After a few moments of soft second-guessing, and a suggestion by Councilwoman Rene Neff about pulling names from a hat — the council picked Roosen-Runge, Gignac and Sundberg for the vote-no committee.