John Reynolds
The State Journal-Register
Leaders from the Faith Coalition for the Common Good urged Springfield alderman on Tuesday to support a city residency ordinance. The ordinance, which would require new city hires to live within the city of Springfield, got its first reading at the Springfield City Council committee of the whole meeting Tuesday night.
Members of the coalition said required residency will boost job opportunities for Springfieldians who have a vested interest in the city, strengthen neighborhoods and improve the city’s economy through increased revenue.
They also argued people should live in the same city they’re drawing a paycheck from. “Those who work for the city, are employed by the city, use city services should live within city boundaries,” said the Rev. Silas Johnson, president of the coalition.
The ordinance, if approved, would take effect Jan. 1, 2017, and cover regular part-time, full-time and temporary employees. The ordinance provides an exemption for current city employees who have continuously maintained a home outside the city limits prior to 2017. Employees who live in the city and move outside of city limits after Jan. 1, 2017, would be required to quit their jobs or be fired.
The Faith Coalition, affiliated with Gamaliel of Illinois, includes local religious and community leaders. Ernesto Johnson, a Faith Coalition leader, said the city council remains divided on the issue. The group is urging residents to contact their alderman and voice their support for the requirement.
One of the hang-ups for the city has been renegotiating its contracts with local unions to include a residency requirement. So far, the city has reached an agreement with at least 14 unions. However, that doesn’t include the majority of the city workforce — police officers, firefighters and 120 City Water, Light and Power electrical workers.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers represents those 120 CWLP workers. Paul Moore, assistant business manager, said the union agreed to a residency requirement for 16 city workers it represents in the audio-visual and inspections departments.
However, the union opposes a residency requirement for the electrical workers because their salaries are paid through money CWLP makes selling energy on the wholesale market, as well as communities it serves outside Springfield, rather than local tax dollars.
The city council in 2000 repealed a residency requirement that had been enacted in 1976, allowing rank-and-file city employees to live outside Springfield.
According to employment data provided by the city in October, 443 of the city’s 1,430 workers didn’t have Springfield addresses. The data didn’t reflect people who had Springfield mailing addresses but didn’t live within the city’s official boundaries. So the total number of employees residing outside city boundaries was higher.
A residency requirement was one of the more widely discussed issues during the mayoral race last year, when Jim Langfelder, a proponent of such a requirement, defeated four other candidates.
The ordinance before the council is sponsored by Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 