Step 1 – Nominations
Locals nominate their favorite businesses—or even themselves. It’s free and open to all. From there, the top candidates are selected based on recent online review activity.

Step 2 – Voting
Once nominations are set, the public gets to vote. One vote per category per person is allowed, and if someone votes more than once, only the most recent one counts.

Step 3 – Reputation
Votes are important, but so are reviews. Each business’s Better Business Bureau rating is checked, and recent Google reviews and star ratings are factored in. A custom formula combines these with votes to determine the finalists.

Step 4 – Winners Announced
Finalists are invited to an awards ceremony, where winners are revealed. All recognized businesses are featured online and in the annual magazine.

Bottom line: It’s a multi-step process that values community voice, data integrity, and transparency.