Richard Schontz announced at Thursday's city council meeting that he will resign from council effective July 29.

He is doing so because he is moving to a ranch home in Butler Township. His current home is on a steep hill, and a member of his family needs a one-floor house.

“We didn't realize that there's not a whole lot of ranches in the city and very few for sale when we started this journey,” Schontz said. “We did look in the city, but we couldn't find what we needed.”

Upon Schontz's departure July 29, the four council members will have 30 days to select a replacement. Anyone who is 18 years old and has been a resident of Butler for at least one year is eligible to submit a letter of interest.

Council members will review those letters and send candidates questions to answer. The top-three highest scorers will be made public and reviewed by