ALPENA –The Alpena County Board of Commissioners should have a trio of candidates to choose from when they vote on Tuesday to fill the vacant board seat representing the county’s District No. 7.

Three submitted letters of interest by the noon Friday deadline: Leanne Bloom, Marty Thompson, and former longtime commissioner and board chairman Cam Habermehl.

The seat became open when former District No. 7 commissioner Kevin Burr stepped down to pursue a new career opportunity. He defeated Habermehl in the August 2018 primary election and was unopposed in November, ending Habermehl’s more than a dozen years on the board.

Bloom said she moved from Canada to Alpena in 2006 and on Sept. 14, 2015 became a U.S. citizen. She said she took an oath of allegiance to the country and believes being a commissioner is a way to give back. Bloom said she has prior experience that would serve her well if she’s appointed: She served on the Alpena Senior Citizens Center board, the governing board at Immanuel Luthern Church, and now the Alpena County Animal Shelter.

“I take my oath seriously, and I look at being a commissioner and representing the people as a privilege,” Bloom said. “I have been volunteering since I moved here, and this is kind of the next step for me.”

Thompson was born in raised in the Alpena area and has a long history of working in business and banking in Alpena County. He previously served on the Long Rapids Township Board of Trustees and the township zoning board. He was also a volunteer firefighter in Long Rapids.

He said he has always wanted to be more involved at the county level, but his busy work schedule didn’t allow it. Thompson said that, now that he’s semi-retired, he has the spare time to commit fully.

“This community has been good to me and my business life, and now I want to give back to it,” Thompson said. “I have watched the county’s successes and struggles over the years, and didn’t have the time to participate, but now I do.”

Both Bloom and Thompson said that, if appointed, they intend to finish out Burr’s term — which expires at the end of 2020 — and then run for one of their own.

The two candidates believe they can bring a new perspective and fresh ideas to the board. Bloom has attended county Finance Committee meetings since Burr announced he was going to resign, and Thompson said he’s followed county business via the local press for many years. Both said doing so has helped prepare them to hit the ground running if they are selected on Tuesday.

Habermehl did not return calls seeking comment.

The Board of Commissioners will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Howard Male Conference room in the county’s annex building. The meeting is open to the public and comment is welcome.

District No. 7 covers the central and northwestern parts of the county.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpeanews.com.