The Goshen City Council will have to fill a vacant seat, after one of the two returning council members announced his resignation this month.

The town’s Bill McMaster submitted a written resignation to the council in the Jan. 8 meeting, saying he would forfeit his seat due to medical reasons, said Goshen Mayor Jack Waller.

“Bill McMaster had to resign because of medical reasons,” Waller said.

McMaster was appointed to the council in 2006, when Councilman Carter Sanders resigned in the middle of his term. And, he was one of the only two to be reelected in the 2008 election.

Town Clerk Traci Shaver said since McMaster is not originally from Goshen, his reelection said a lot about what kind of public servant he was.

“He was not in there just to say ‘I’m on the Town Council,’” Shaver said. “He was in there to try to make things better for the citizens, and he will definitely be missed.”

In his administration, McMaster was in charge of the grant committee and worked to bring new funding into the town.

But Shaver said he went far beyond just that role in his time on council.

“I think he brought a lot of good to both councils, and he’s just a real hard worker,” Shaver said.

Waller said McMaster’s resignation became affective at the end of the last meeting, and by the next meeting, he will likely be replaced.

Tracy Roberts, assistant general council for the Alabama League of Municipalities, said the members have 60 days to find a replacement.

If the council does not appointed a new member in time, the governor will then have 30 days to appoint a replacement.

But, Waller said council members will make their nominations on Feb. 12.