Pennsylvania official chosen for administration position in Charlottesville

As promised at the first Council meeting of the year, Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders has named a third deputy to serve in city government. Sanders has selected Eden Ratliff as Deputy City Manager for Administration.

Ratliff will resign effective February 1 as the outgoing manager of the Borough of Kennett Township, a small division of government in southeastern Pennsylvania. 

“I am excited to have Eden join the City Manager’s Office and I know he will bring an energy and enthusiasm that will support the ongoing work to stabilize the organization,” Sanders is quoted in a city press release. 

Kennett Township is within Chester County and has a 2020 Census count of 8,289. The township’s geographic area covers 15.6 square miles. This Borough is not to be confused with the Borough of Kennett Square, which is also in Chester County. 

According to the Chester County Press, Ratliff was hired in the summer of 2019 after a previous manager had been caught stealing $3.2 million. He alluded to this in a statement the Borough of Kennett Township sent out on Wednesday.

“Nearly four and a half years ago the Township entrusted me with the responsibility of stabilizing the Kennett Township government and professionalizing the services we provide to this great community,” Ratliff is quoted. “I am forever grateful for the trust the Board of Supervisors had in me, the opportunity to serve the public, and am proud of all that we have accomplished.”  

Ratliff has also previously served as manager of the Borough of Greencastle in Franklin County, Pennsylvania and manager of the Borough of Ford City, also in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The incoming deputy is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Arts in employment and labor relations and an undergraduate degree in political science. He’s currently working toward a Master of Arts in public management from Johns Hopkins University.  

There are a total of 2,560 municipalities in Pennsylvania according to Wikipedia. In addition to counties, the other municipality types are townships, boroughs, cities, school districts, and exactly one town. 

Ratliff will join a Sanders administration that includes a total of three deputies including Ashley Marshall, who now has the title of Deputy City Manager for Social Equity. 

Steven Hicks is currently serving as interim Deputy City Manager for Operations and an announcement is expected next week on who will that position going forward.

The new position that Ratliff will fill will oversee the city’s budget, finance, and human resources departments. He will begin work in early February. 

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