Merrill’s city clerk is stepping down after more than two decades of public service.
Bill Heideman was first elected as Merrill City Clerk back in 1998, but now, he says changes in how the city is run means it's time to move on.
"The whole atmosphere seems to be we're going in the wrong direction as far as civility, as far as committees working together, as far as the council working together,” he says. “I just don't see that anymore, unfortunately.”
Heideman says it wasn't just one thing that led to his decision to resign, and some issues had been building up over time.
But he says one of his biggest recent challenges has been his role working to restore the public's trust in local government.
"We're spending time addressing issues to get back to even with the public to try to build that trust back up. If we have that trust we could use that valuable time for more valuable addressing of issues," Heideman said.
He holds no ill will toward the city as a whole and wishes whoever takes his place the best of luck.
His last day in office will be January 3. His term was originally set to expire in April.
