Chester County Republican Commissioner Not Seeking Third Term

WEST CHESTER, PA —Chester County Commissioner Michelle H. Kichline, an attorney with decades of experience in government, is not seeking re-election to a third, four-year term as county commissioner.

Kichline, 55, Tredyffrin Township, said she believes in term limits and knows that other candidates have already announced they plan to run in 2024 for a four-year term.

“This job has been wonderful,” said Kichline, the lone Republican on a three-member board, overseeing a $600 million budget.

The other commissioners are Marian D. Moskowitz and Josh Maxwell, both Democrats.

Working together

Kichline said all three commissioners work together to improve the quality of life for all residents, including dealing with the novel COVID-19 breakout in 2020.

The Chester County Health Department had also taken on neighboring Delaware County during the pandemic before Delaware County last year opened its own health department.

“We are very fortunate to have a health department in Chester County,” she said. “You have the chance to touch the lives of the local people. I grew up in Chester County.”

Kichline, a Conestoga High School graduate, has a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University.

Kichline, an attorney who specialized in education, municipal government and land use, brings 25 years of experience working in municipal government to the job. She was previously a Tredyffrin Township supervisor.

She was appointed commissioner in 2014 by the Chester County judiciary to replace Ryan A. Costello after he was elected to Congress.

She won her first elected term in November 2015. She served as chairwoman for part of her tenure and ran again for a second-term.

The commissioners earn an annual salary of $85,389, with the chair earning $86,389.
Each party will run two candidates in the November election.

The two Republican candidates who have announced online that they are running are David Sommers, a teacher, and Eric Roe, a former state representative representing District 158 in Chester County.

Kichline said there are other candidates who are likely to run on the Republican ticket.

Kichline has another year to serve as commissioner, a job that involves overseeing the county prison, children services, transportation, juvenile facility, pension board, nursing home and more.

She especially appreciates the opportunity to have an influence over improving the lives of the estimated 538,650 residents in the 759 square mile county, with 67 municipalities.

Accomplishments

During her nearly seven years as commissioner, Kichline, has spearheaded the annual opiate awareness Color Run in the fall in Chester County, which raised funds to support the Warm Hands-off program in Chester County hospitals.

The program allows those who are taken to hospital emergency rooms for overdoses to be transferred to treatment facilities as opposed to merely giving them a phone number for a treatment facility.

She also focused on the $48 million Paoli Train Station improvement project, which provides ADA improvements, parking and state-of the art platforms while keeping the historical facade.

The county was also involved in numerous land preservation projects.
She is hopeful to see the completion of a new $65 million train project in the city of Coatesville.

Kichline said the train will provide additional job opportunities for the city residents. The Amtrak project began in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2025.

What’s next?

Kichline said she hopes to stay involved working in areas that she learned about on the job as commissioner, including the ongoing addiction problem and immigration.

She noted the children of migrants who work on the mushroom farms in southern Chester County have an after-school program.

“There are so many great nonprofits in Chester County,” she said.