Battle Ground City Manager Erin Erdman announced her resignation Wednesday after 10 years of service with the north Clark County city.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my resignation from the city of Battle Ground, a city I have come to love both professionally and personally,” Erdman said in Wednesday’s statement.
Erdman is leaving her post to take a city manager position in Kennewick. The Tri-Cities municipality is about four times larger in population than Battle Ground, which clocks in with just less than 22,000 residents, according to the latest estimates from the Washington Office of Financial Management.
Erdman started with Battle Ground in 2014, serving first as community development director.
Erdman officially took the city manager position in 2019, replacing Jeff Swanson who resigned in 2018. She served as interim city manager after Swanson left.
She thanked the city council and Battle Ground residents for entrusting her with the city manager position for five years, allowing her to grow professionally.
Erdman led Battle Ground through the COVID-19 pandemic just a year after being appointed. She also ushered the city through the Fire District 3 Annexation in 2021, helping reduce the city’s expenses by $3.5 million. And she was said to be instrumental in developing the city’s vision and strategic action plan.
“The council and I offer our sincere appreciation for Erin’s leadership, dedication and numerous contributions to the city of Battle Ground,” Mayor Troy McCoy said in Wednesday’s announcement. “I wish her well and hope she knows the incredible influence she has had in this community. The City of Kennewick is lucky to have her.”
The Battle Ground City Council made a motion in an executive session March 18 to give Erdman a pay increase. The motion, which included a new contract with pay of $208,000, is still included in an April 1 Battle Ground city meeting agenda. Erdman currently earns a base salary of around $203,000 annually, according to a city spokesperson.
The Battle Ground City Council expects to discuss next steps in recruitment and hiring for a new city manager at its April 1 meeting.
