WILMINGTON — The mayor of Port William for the past five years, Michelle Morrison, resigned at village council’s meeting in July.

On Monday, Morrison attended a meeting of the Clinton County commissioners who were getting updated on potential sanitary sewer options for the village. She was present as an interested citizen who, as mayor for several years, could provide background information on the topic.

After the commissioners meeting, Morrison said she didn’t wish right now to go into why she decided to resign.

Though at one time there was a question whether Morrison’s residence was within the village corporation limits, that is not why she resigned, she told the News Journal.

“With some of the other situations that were going on, I just decided to resign,” Morrison said following the commissioners meeting. She added that is as specific as she presently wants to be on the question.

When there is no mayor, due to death or resignation for example, the president of village council becomes the acting mayor, Morrison said in response to a question about succession.

Her understanding is if council president does not want to fill the empty office of mayor, village council appoints a new president of council who then will become the acting mayor.

The president of Port William Village Council is Robin Ianson.

At an Economic Network Alliance gathering in February featuring a panel of area mayors, Morrison said some of the problems in Port William are a decline in population and a decline of funding.

Residents of Port William rely on private wells for water and private septic tanks for the sewage function. The Village of Port William cannot afford to build public water and sewage infrastructure on its own, Morrison said during her part in the mayors discussion.

In September 2016, Morrison told the county commissioners 12 residents acknowledged they had problems with their private septic tanks.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.