SCOTTOWN — The question as to who will fill a vacancy for the third Windsor Township Trustee seat has been answered. Trustees Robert Burcham and Donald Rigney appointed former trustee Brian Williams on Saturday.

Another former trustee, Mark Johnson, was elected in November but ultimately couldn’t serve because of a conflict between disability income and the Public Employees Retirement System.

After Johnson told Burcham and Rigney of his intentions not to serve, which came after he was told he could not donate his trustee salary to a fire department, the trustees put forth efforts to appoint Lawrence County Deputy Sheriff and the race’s third-highest vote getter Scott Wilson. Wilson’s appointment, however, hinged on an opinion from Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Brigham Anderson as to whether Wilson’s role as deputy and trustee would be a conflict of interest.

Anderson, by default as the county’s prosecuting attorney, is also the trustees’ attorney. The trustees had not received Anderson’s letter prior to their Saturday, Jan. 4 meeting, and the appointment was postponed until the most recent meeting.

“(Brigham) Anderson’s letter wasn’t real cut and dry,” Rigney said. “It wasn’t totally clear. What we were concerned about is if down the road the trustees have an issue and the sheriff has to get involved, it would cause a conflict. The letter wasn’t a definite yes or no, too many maybes.”

Windsor Township Trustees Fiscal Officer Timmy Hayes echoed Rigney’s concern about a conflict involving the sheriff.

“If we have an issue with livestock, which we often do,” Hayes said, “and the sheriff has to get involved, then there could be a conflict.”

Williams could not be reached by press time. Rigney said it is his understanding Williams filed a petition to run, but the petition was lost and thus Williams name was never placed on the ballot.