Requiring City Employees to Live in Youngstown

[Reggie McLendon]

It's only the right thing to do......If those who  don't like the law get another job........I paid my taxes I want MY money to stay here......THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY NEEDS JOBS.....Work for our city but live in the suburbs and THUMP YOUR NOSE UP AT US, BUT TAKE OUR MONEY.......THE TAX PAYER SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE SOMEONE THATS CARES AS MUCH FOR THEIR CITY AS THEM.....NOT SOMEONE THAT DRAINING US FOR OUR DOLLARS IN RUNNING BACK TO THE SUBURBS

[AllanY2525]

I can see the pro's and con's of both sides of the
argument for mandatory city residence for certain
job positions, was just playing devil's advocate
for the city by starting this thread.

It just seems a shame that some of the best paid
jobs in Youngstown are probably held by people
who live outside the city and, therefore, are
paying taxes elsewhere that could be helping
Youngstown instead.

I agree with the thinking that Youngstown needs to
build businesses, restaurants, etc to get people
to live in the city but it's a vicious catch-22 in
that the city needs tax revenues to PROVIDE the
kinds of vital services (ie: schools, police and
fire protection, etc) that MAKE the city a place
that people want to live in.

There are still nice neighborhoods in parts of
the city that people would probably want to live
in, if the residency requirement were extended to
those working for W.R.T.A., the university, etc.

[YSUalum]

I'm not sure if I'm being consistent, but here I go.....

I argued that it would be wrong to require YSU employees  to reside within the city of Youngstown (as I myself do) but I do think that it is important for the employees of the city to actually live in the city.  

City employees are being payed by our tax dollars, but more importantly, we want them to have a vested interest in the community in which they work.  I suppose not all cities have a residency rule, but I think it would be odd to potentially have a mayor of Youngstown who actually lives in Canfield.  What a conflict of interest.  

It's tough (but logical) to say that that requirement should be extend to employees of WRTA and the Youngstown city schools as they are actually not employees IN/OF the city government.  That's the difference.  

Interesting topic!

[jay]

In some respects, city employees are second class citizens.  They do not have the freedom to live wherever they want due to the residency rule, and they are also prohibited from running for a partisan political office.

While city workers are held to this standard, employees of the Youngstown City Schools and the Western Reserve Transit Authority are not.  The city schools and the WRTA are also funded solely by the taxpayers of Youngstown.  If the residency rule is not going to be applied to these groups as well, then it should be dropped for city employees.

[YSUalum]

First of all, I should apologize for not proofreading my previous post more thoroughly!

Secondly, no, I do not believe YSU has a policy dictating that its employees reside within city limits.  I know that there is a healthy population of YSU faculty and staff making the Northside their home, but not because they are required to do so.  

As a YSU employee and a resident of the city of Youngstown, I actually don't believe that it would be a good idea for our University to require city residence prior to employment.  Mostly because our funding comes from the state, not the city, but also because an academic environment should always try to foster diversity, not to limit it.  

Finally, I don't think Youngstown's comeback should be linked with enforced residence, period.  Rather, let's make Youngstown someplace folks WANT to live and work.  That will have far more long term implications.  


  

[John R. Swierz]

   Allan,
    In 1988 the city charter was amended that required
    anyone hired from that time foward would have to become
    resident of the city.  In some cases they have up to
    1 year to move in.
    .
  John R. Swierz
  Candidate for Mayor and former POC,7th Ward Councilmember
  retireed Youngstown Fire Fighter

[AllanY2525]

Does Youngstown State University have a similar policy?


Being that University jobs are among the better paying
ones in Youngstown, it would help the city a lot if
employees of the university had to live in the city
limits as well.

[YSUalum]

Unless something changed in the last few years, I believe  have this policy in Youngstown already.   Most city government positions are posted with the stipulation that the employee live within the city liimits.

[AllanY2525]

I've heard that some cities require city employees
(such as Police and government officials) to live
within the city limits as a condition of their
employment.  

This generates income and property tax revenues for
the city and, in the case of police officers, helps
make the neighborhoods better by having members of
the police force as neighbors.

What if Youngstown were to make some policies stating
that all future hires for the police department, fire
department, street department, etc. must live in
the city as a condition of employment?

This would put some money back in the city's coffers,
thereby helping to defray the cost of providing
vital services to the city.

Would this work?  Comments?