IRVINE : Council Praises Departing Bloomer

City officials won’t know until late July whether a special election will be held to fill the term of Councilman William A. (Art) Bloomer, who announced this week that he is resigning and moving to Virginia.

Meanwhile, Bloomer’s council colleagues praised the 60-year-old retired Marine Corps general for his hard work and commitment to the city.

“I’m very sorry he’s leaving. I think he was an outstanding council member,” said Councilwoman Paula Werner. “I’m going to miss him.”

Werner and others praised Bloomer for his independence and willingness to listen to all sides before making decisions.

“He’s been an individual thinker,” said Councilwoman Christina L. Shea. “He makes decisions based on issues and not on politics.”

Bloomer was elected to the council in 1990. Over the last few months, he has spearheaded Irvine’s efforts to prevent the closure of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, where he served as base commander during the mid-1980s. A native of Kansas, Bloomer also flew 330 combat missions in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart.

City leaders said Bloomer’s experience with the military gave Irvine an “insider’s knowledge” during the closure fight. They also praised Bloomer for the reasoned approach he brought to other issues facing the city.

Bloomer is leaving the council to accept a promotion to executive vice president of American Protective Services Inc. The new position requires that he move to northern Virginia in July. Before the promotion, he was senior vice president of the security firm.

There has been little public discussion so far about who might replace Bloomer.

Under city rules, a special election to fill the seat will be held if residents persuade about 5,000 people--or 7% of Irvine’s registered voters--to sign a petition by July 19.

If that doesn’t happen, the council can either call an election or appoint someone to fill the one year remaining on Bloomer’s term.