On December 31st, an article was posted in the Daily Local News on Ratliff’s response to the ongoing ethics investigation, including the inquiry submitted by the Borough of Kennett Square to the Ethics Commission. As described elsewhere, Ratliff attempted to clear his name through false claims about the sequence of events. In the end, these attempts had the opposite effect, simply confirming that his conduct had been inappropriate for close to one year.
“In a letter to Ratliff from the Ethics Commission dated Dec. 22, 2021, it was recommended that Ratliff advise the Regional Commission and Longwood fire Company only as a volunteer, not in his capacity as Kennett Township Manager.”
In seeking guidance from the Commission for a future conflict of interest (read more here about how such guidance works), the Commission effectively ruled on Ratliff’s past conduct. In this case, the Commission’s judgment confirms that it was inappropriate for Ratliff to have ever advised either the Township or the Fire Commission beginning in 2021 (after he had become a member of Longwood Fire) and especially after October (when his wife became an employee of Longwood Fire). We have submitted a Right to Know request to Kennett Township to obtain a copy of the Commission’s response to confirm the precise language used.