John Reynolds
The State Journal-Register
After lengthy debate Tuesday night, the Springfield City Council approved a residency requirement for new hires.
The vote was tight, 6-4, with Mayor Jim Langfelder, who pushed for the requirement as “the right thing to do,” anxious to cast a tie-breaking vote. However, his vote was not needed. The “no” votes were by Ward. 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen and Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer.
“I’m excited the aldermen made the right decision in passing the ordinance because it is important to the long-term future of the city of Springfield,” Langfelder said afterward. “We have great-paying jobs with great benefits.”
Under the approved ordinance, any city employee hired on or after Jan. 1, 2017, will have to live within the corporate city limits of Springfield. Municipalities such as Grandview, Jerome and Southern View would not qualify.
Existing employees who live outside the city would be grandfathered in to continue living where they live now. And those employees would also be allowed to move elsewhere outside the city. Employees who live in Springfield now would not be able to move outside the city limits.
Fourteen of the city’s more than 20 unions have already agreed in their new contracts to the residency requirement. However, that doesn’t include the majority of the city workforce — police officers, firefighters and 120 City Water, Light and Power electrical workers.
Tuesday’s vote was taken after a couple of amendments, including one that would have allowed new hires to live anywhere in Sangamon County, were withdrawn. An amendment to allow for a council-approved yearlong hardship exemption was approved.
Supporters of a residency requirement have argued that it 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 maintain that people should live in the same city they’re drawing a paycheck from.
Speaking before the council Tuesday night, the Rev. Silas Johnson of Calvary Baptist Church, also the president of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, referred to scripture to make his point.
“If you are going to eat at the table, then why not sit at the table? If you are going to stand outside, stretch your arm in, get the food and take it back outside, that does not make sense,” Johnson said. Teresa Haley, president of the Springfield Branch of the NAACP and the Illinois NAACP, also spoke in favor of the residency requirement.
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. Elected officials and department directors were still required to live in the city.
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.
“We take pride in the Springfield community, and we want to keep our dollars in the Springfield community. We are taxpayers, we are homeowners, and we think it’s important, as stated before, if you’re good enough to work in the community, you should be good enough to live here and spend your dollars here as well.” Haley said.
The ordinance covers regular part-time, full-time and temporary employees.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 