Merrill Mayor Doug Williams made the following announcement to the community on Wednesday, Nov. 18:

"To the employees and citizens of Merrill and surrounding communities;

"I wanted to let you know, first hand, that I do not intend to seek reelection next April 2010.

"Never in my minds’ eye could I have dreamed of a more interesting and rewarding opportunity than to be Mayor for the City of Merrill. I am grateful beyond any words to have had the opportunity to serve our community for the past eight years ... I am most proud of what we have accomplished in the past eight years, and I have gained valuable friendships, a wealth of experience and clear insights that will remain with me forever.

"I believe strongly in the value of contested elections and hope that my early announcement will encourage challengers to take the plunge and run. I say this to motivate those concerned with moving Merrill forward to run for public office.  I have enjoyed working with each my colleagues on many different projects, and contested elections tend to bring out the issues and truly inform the voters giving them the opportunity to make the best choice.

"In 2002 my election slogan was, “A Positive Change for a Positive Future.”  Merrill, through the hard work and vision of many in this community most certainly has a Positive Future."

Mayor Doug Williams