EAST PALESTINE — Nearly a year to the day of taking over as East Palestine Village Manager, Chad Edwards has left the position, exposing turmoil behind the scenes as the town continues to suffer setbacks and struggles to rebrand itself in the wake of last year’s Norfolk Southern train derailment.

Edwards, who officially stepped into the role of village manager on Nov. 1, 2023, cited a deep division among East Palestine leaders in his resignation letter turned in to East Palestine Council over the weekend.

“There are just too many divides,” Edwards wrote. “I thought I could help breach them, but that no longer seems possible. I love East Palestine and I hate leaving like this. There are a lot of wonderful people who I consider my friends. I am sincerely going to miss them. However, the past few months have made this conclusion inevitable and I want to get out now and give you time to start looking for a replacement.”

When officially hired last October, East Palestine Village Council called Edwards “more qualified than all of the other applicants combined” and lauded the Marietta native’s qualifications and his 17 years of governmental management experience.

Edwards was hired by a unanimous vote after a year-long search to replace former village manager Mark McTrustry, who announced his resignation in October of 2022. The village had expected to replace McTrusty at the beginning of 2023 but the derailment threw a wrench into those plans. Council was confident enough in Edwards’ appointment that the village bought out his previous employment contract at a price tag of $16,000.

However, fractures between council and Edwards began to show within months. In May, after evaluating Edwards’ performance, three of the five members of the East Palestine Village Council voted to not retain Edwards.

Jessica Rocco, Tim Blythe and Lenny Glavan cast “no” votes with Doug Simpson and Linda May voting in support of Edwards — Thomas Povenski Jr. was not at that meeting — and the super majority vote needed to terminate Edwards was not obtained.

Edwards remained as the village manager, but rumors of strife between Edwards and Mayor Trent Conaway continued to swirl.

Edwards did not identify what proverbial straw broke the camel’s back and led to his resignation, but said he stepped away so the village could find a “better fit”.

“It was an honor to serve in this role. You have some of the best department heads and employees working here. East Palestine is lucky to have them,” Edwards wrote. “They and the public-at-large deserve better leadership which is why I am departing. Good luck with your search for a manager. I sincerely hope you will find someone that is a better fit for this position.”

Edwards was the city manager of Shinnston, West Virginia from 2019 until leaving to accept the job in East Palestine. Edwards was previously the chief administrative officer, recorder and deputy mayor of Sistersville in West Virginia. He has served as president, vice president and secretary of the West Virginia City Managers Association. Aside from his time spent in the Mountaineer State, Edwards has also served as the city manager of Gordon, Nebraska. Edwards is a graduate of Ohio University. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the George Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University.

It is unclear when East Palestine will begin a search for Edwards’ replacement or who will serve as interim manager until the position can be refilled. Former Village Finance Director Traci Spratt had been the interim manager between McTrusty’s departure and Edwards’ hiring. Spratt has also served as interim manager during previous management transitions.

Council meets tonight at 7 p.m. and Edwards’ resignation and replacement will likely be discussed as will the village’s next steps moving forward.