Fountain Hill Borough Manager Placed on Unpaid Leave
Fountain Hill borough officials have confirmed that borough manager Eric Gratz has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the resolution of criminal charges he is currently facing.
Fountain Hill borough officials have confirmed that borough manager Eric Gratz has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the resolution of criminal charges he is currently facing.
In a post dated March 29 that was recently published on the borough’s website, the borough will also be conducting its own “employment investigation” of Gratz, who was hired as borough manager in the summer of 2021 and was paid a starting salary of $85,000.
Gratz, 41, of Alburtis, was charged March 24 with Solicitation to Commit Prostitution–a third-degree misdemeanor–following an investigation by county detectives that began in February.
According to a March 24 news release from the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office, Gratz allegedly “initiated conversations” with a 17-year-old Fountain Hill junior firefighter in December 2022 and later texted the girl with an offer of “money in exchange for sexual acts.”
It is also alleged that “Gratz used a cell phone provided by the Borough of Fountain Hill to text the victim on numerous occasions,” the release said.
“The Borough has, and will continue to, cooperate fully with the District Attorney’s office through this process,” the March 29 statement from Fountain Hill Borough Council said. “As this is both a criminal prosecution and a personnel matter, the Borough has no comment on the charges presently being adjudicated.”
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It remains unclear whether an interim or acting borough manager will be appointed while the legal proceedings continue.
Sandwiched between Salisbury Township, Lower Saucon Township and the City of Bethlehem in Lehigh County’s southeastern corner, Fountain Hill has a diverse population of approximately 5,000 residents. It is home to one of the largest employers in the area, St. Luke’s University Health Network, but has faced financial challenges due having the highest ratio of tax-exempt property of any municipality in the Lehigh Valley. Those fiscal challenges have been highlighted by efforts to rehabilitate and reopen the borough’s public swimming pool, which is in need of repair following years of neglect. A volunteer group, the Fountain Hill Community Coalition, is currently attempting to fundraise money for the repairs.
Fountain Hill Borough Council is scheduled to meet Monday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in the public meeting room at Fountain Hill Borough Hall, which is located at 941 Long Street, Fountain Hill. More information about the meeting as well as borough services, forms and upcoming events may be found online at FountainHill.org.
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