SURFSIDE BEACH — Two familiar names will be on the ballots Tuesday when residents in Surfside Beach choose between two women for one council seat.

Vicki Blair, a council member from 2008 to 2012, and Beth Kohlmann, who’s held volunteer committee positions, are in the running.

Blair also held volunteer positions in the town and ran as an incumbent in April’s election, but did not garner enough votes.

The seat the women are vying for was left vacant by Doug Samples when he resigned as councilman to become the mayor. The term expires in 2014.

Kohlmann is a retired detective squad supervisor with the New York police department. She’s a charter member of the Coastal Carolina Shields and is the secretary for the group of retired law enforcement officers. She also volunteers with the Friends of the Surfside Beach Library, South Strand Helping Hand and the Honor Flight. Kohlmann is a current member of the Surfside Beach special events and recreation committee and previously sat on the beautification committee.

She said it’s the right time to join the council and is excited for the opportunity to serve the town.

“Being a former police officer and from a family of public servants it was natural for me to become involved in this town,” she said.

Kohlmann said she’s not afraid of the work required with the seat and said she’s willing to ask the tough questions and find solutions to any problems.

Blair works for the S.C. Department of Environmental Health and Control. Before her term on Town Council, she was chair of the planning and zoning commission. It was a spot she was appointed to by a previous mayor, though appointing members is no longer the job of the mayor.

Blair said she was proud of the accomplishments and improvements in Surfside Beach during her tenure on Town Council including the library renovations, fire station construction and the redevelopment of Surfside Drive. She hopes to help the town make further strides in similar projects.

Kohlmann hopes to be a voice for the residents and said she welcomes their concerns.

“I will do my best to gather information and listen to the residents and business owners to make the best decisions for the community as a whole,” she said. “I firmly believe the residents understand that they need to voice their concerns and opinions at the meetings and with the new council in place the atmosphere is different and community friendly.”

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. Tuesday will be allowed to vote. Only two polling stations will be open, the Surfside United Methodist Church at 800 13the Avenue North and the Dick Johnson Civic Center at 811 Pine Drive.

Contact AMANDA KELLEY at 626-0381.