By Brandi Makuski

Wisconsin Rapids City Clerk Shane Blaser on Tuesday announced he would resign from his office on Dec. 18.

Blaser has been the clerk for eight years. He made the announcement via email.

“This may also be seen by some as an opportunity to change the position to an appointed one. I do not support this decision,” Blaser wrote in his email statement. “The citizens expressed their opinion in four referendum questions at the April 4, 2006 election…[t]he results showed that the citizens wanted to keep the positions elected as opposed to appointed and were not in favor of combining them by a three to one margin.”

Blaser called his decision a “difficult” one.

“I’ve decided to pursue business opportunities that will not be available if I wait until my term has ended,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed helping and assisting the citizens of Wisconsin Rapids navigate the governmental process and with the many areas in elections.”

Blaser said he chosen mid-December in order to allow time for “transition of my duties to my successor…to ensure successful continued function of the [c]lerk’s office after my departure.”

State law allows for an appointee to fill the remainder of Blaser’s term- which expires in April of 2018, or the City Council could opt to hold a special election.

It was not immediately clear how city leaders would proceed.