Residency for City Workers

[boeingleo]

I have a thought about the residency requirement let me run it by you guys:

I used to be a Zoning inspector for the City of Indianapolis and when I got hired with the City of Chicago I looked into what the official language was for the residency requirement. Because I hate living in the city I took the job because of what I can gain later in life. All it says is that you have to be a resident but what does that mean exactly? It is very vauge

Websters says that a resident is living in a place for some length of time

For example: Why cant I rent a room in the city and live in Indiana? Or a suburb? The city does not clearly define what a resident is. How long do I need to live there how many days a week? Do I need to have my car registered there? I don't think so. If all I can afford is a private room in the city who is the city to say that I must have an apartment or a home?

In my job the city had to go outside the city to find qualified workers and alot of us were from out of state. So we have out of state plates and cellphone numbers so does that mean we are not a resident? No it does not this is America and we should be able to live where we want to live.

I think that people get "caught" because they brag and talk about it and that tells the IG that hmm we need to look at this guy.

I am doing some serious research on this subject because I think that the city needs to define better what they mean.

Thoughts??????????

[boeingleo]

More research

This is an exert from the Indianapolis Municipal code and as you can see it is clearly defined:

Sec. 291-112. Employee residence requirement.
(a) After August 15, 1977, any person who accepts employment with the City of Indianapolis, or any special service or special taxing district thereof, or Marion County, must have his principal place of residence within the limits of Marion County or become a resident of the county within six (6) months of the date when he accepts such employment; and his position as an employee of such unit of government shall terminate six (6) months from the date that he moves his principal place of residence from the county.
(b) This section shall not apply to persons who have specialized skills or training if there is no suitable applicant for the position residing within the limits of Marion County, and the appropriate elected official or his designee approves.
(c) This section shall not apply to members of the fire forces of the city, who are governed by the provisions of IC 36-8-4-2, or to members of the metropolitan law enforcement agency, who are governed by section 279-227 and 279-241 of the Code.
(d) This section shall not apply to those persons who were nonresident employees of the county, the city, or any special service or special taxing district thereof, prior to August 15, 1977.
(e) This section shall not apply to any person who was a nonresident employee of an entity other than the City of Indianapolis, or any special service or special taxing district thereof, or Marion County and who became an employee of one (1) of those entities as a result of a transfer of the duties of his/her employer to the City of Indianapolis, or any special service or special taxing district thereof, or Marion County. However, if at any time during his/her employment with one (1) of those entities, such employee does become a resident, that employee shall thereafter be covered by this section.

Chicago's Code:

2-152-340 Residence restrictions.

All officers and employees in the classified career service of the city, including all employees of the Chicago Board of Education, shall be actual residents of the city. Any officer or employee in the classified career service of the city, including all employees of the Chicago Board of Education, who shall fail to comply with the provisions of this section shall be discharged from the service of the city and board of education in the manner provided by law, provided that employees of the Chicago Board of Education shall have a two-year grace period from the effective date of this amendment, to comply with the residency requirements of this section.


What is an actual resident?

[hockeycop95]

boeingleo-
not sure where you found that info on residency, sounds like its a board of ed requirement. when you get a city job you must be a resident in the city by the hire date. i'm not 100 % sure but you must stay/live at your "address" at least 5 days out of the week to be considered a resident. i wont take a chance doing it when your an at will employee. there was an article in the suntimes this last week about a po that fired for violating the residency requirement. yes to the vehicle question although, you can prove that you have a "vacation home/condo" where you have a vehicle registered. make sure you have the city sticker.

[boeingleo]

Thanks Hockeycop95 I have a home in Indiana and I have my vehicle registered there.

[L-1]

Thanks Hockeycop95 I have a home in Indiana and I have my vehicle registered there.

I don't know how hard Chicago pushes the residency issue, but if you get on someone's bad side, the potential for termination is there unless you have all your ducks in a row. I have seen residency issues come back to bit people because they didn't cover all their bases and it was obvious they were just playing a game with their employer.

Most states require that their residents register their cars in that state and possess a driver's license from that state. In order to prove that you really are a "Chicago resident" you need to make sure your have Illinois registration for your car showing your Chicago address, an Illinois DL showing your Chicago address, that your car insurance reflects your Chicago residency and if you are registered to vote, that it is in Chicago and not Indiana. Then, your place in Indiana simply becomes your second home or weekend getaway.

If you pi*s someone off badly enough and they decide to I/A you for not being a Chicago resident, these are the first things they will look at. Obviously, they will ask you where you really sleep at night. But when they do, rest assured they will have already followed you home for several nights and already know.

[inout6yrs]

No it does not this is America and we should be able to live where we want to live.

This is america so you don't have to take the job. Life is all about sacrifices.

People that complain about the residency rule tick me off.

[ChiTownDet]

The city takes the residency requirement as serious as a heart attack. They have terminated numerous employees over the years for "living out." They have people in IAD and IG's Office whose sole jobs are residency beefs. And guess what? From guys I know that are in IAD, a majority of the beefs come from...drum roll.....Other coppers...

They also have criteria that's used for evaluating if you're living out. Getting the apartment and never being there will get you canned, as well as not having your vehicle registered in the city, no city sticker for the car, or having kids registered for public schools outside Chicago. The only thing that I've seen that has worked is getting a divorce from the wife and only visiting her and your kids on your days off. "Actual Resident," means actually living in Chicago. Can only afford a room? Well better not have another house outside the city, then.

They used to give you several months to move back in, if caught, but in about the last 10 yrs., I've heard they strip (de-police) you and you're given 30 pending separation on the spot.

The city is so serious about residency that they had law passed in Springfield that prevents residency from being abolished through arbitration at contract time...But only for cities in Illinois with over 1 million population

Think you were the first to come up with trying to get around it? The first time you mention where you work to a neighbor, your kids tell other kids at school where you work, flash the star on a traffic stop in Merrillville, someone will dime you out. People are just giddy with delight with wrecking something that some else has that they don't.

As an aside, seeing that part of your post that you're just taking the job for "what you can gain later in life," from it. Maybe you should have skipped getting on. You just used a spot for someone else who wants to actually be the Police.

[OfcrJ]

This is america so you don't have to take the job. Life is all about sacrifices.

People that complain about the residency rule tick me off.

The typical response by yet another clueless wannabe. What do YOU know about the ramifications of residency? Life is about working smarter - not letting B.S. archaic rules stand without opposition. We are strong enough to take a stand when it comes to bettering our work environments and residency WILL fall in the future. Most of the people who start this job are in their early 20's and will do practically anything to get hired. Once you get married, have a few kids, and have REAL responsibility things change drastically. There is no valid reason to have a residency requirement in present times. NONE.

[MorseAve1134]

It helps support the city economically. If someone despises Chicago politics and the city environment so much maybe they shouldn't work here? If it's BS then go to a department that does not require residency. You can say it's BS and archaic all you want, but you knew that when you took the job. Chicago is large enough that you can live in any type of neighborhood you want. For smaller cities to require residency is more along the lines of BS, the choice is still yours though. For every city worker that doesn't want to live in the city there are 10 that will be glad to move in and take the job. To let go of a career because you have to live SOMEWHERE within the third largest city in the country is absurd. The 16th and the far SW side might as well be the suburbs anyway, but more affordable.

[OfcrJ]

It helps support the city economically. If someone despises Chicago politics and the city environment so much maybe they shouldn't work here? If it's BS then go to a department that does not require residency. You can say it's BS and archaic all you want, but you knew that when you took the job. Chicago is large enough that you can live in any type of neighborhood you want. For smaller cities to require residency is more along the lines of BS, the choice is still yours though. For every city worker that doesn't want to live in the city there are 10 that will be glad to move in and take the job. To let go of a career because you have to live SOMEWHERE within the third largest city in the country is absurd. The 16th and the far SW side might as well be the suburbs anyway, but more affordable.

It helps to support the city economically? Oh, really? What would happen to all the homes of the city workers if they decided to move? Would they just sit unoccupied? I'm sorry - how long have you been subject to a residency requirement? Unless you've failed to update your profile you are in the same category as the last guy. Yet ANOTHER opinion of an outsider. "Oh, wait, I'm an MP - it's the same thing guys, I swear!" I do respect your military service (been there, done that) but until you are forced to live in the same city, town, or village for your entire career your opinion has no weight. Maybe you should go to an electrical engineer forum and try to convince them your an expert too...

[boeingleo]

As you can see from my previous posts I have applied to be a police officer several times in Indiana I have not applied here because of the college requirement. I am a city worker that works at O'hare and I live in the 16th district because I didnt want to live in the city persay. But I have to live in the city because I work there. In my job at the airport the city was having a hard time getting qualified people so they started letting people outside the city apply that is how I arrived here. When I say that I took the job to advance my career I meant that O'hare looks good on a resume.

Buying a house in the 16th district (Edison Park, Norwood Park and parts of Jeff Park) are almost unheard of. Don't want to rent for the rest of my time here in Chicago. The reason for this is high cost of housing is because of the concentration of city workers that live in these areas. I have yet to find a home for under 200,000. But if the city would lift the residency requirement that would open up Schiller Park, Melrose Park and other suburbs around O'hare.

Even on a city paycheck living in the City of Chicago is expensive (10.25% sales tax highest in the country) That is why I do alot of my shopping in the suburbs (Dupage County)

The residency requirement needs to be lifted I got to believe that there are some city workers that live outside the city that have been doing it for years and that they just dont talk about it.

I am currently researching the case of The City of Chicago vs. Joseph Fedanzo (Google if you would like to read the case) I will let everyone know what I find.

[MorseAve1134]

1) I am not an MP. 2) Would you prefer a career that requires you to move every three years and gives you no say OVER a career that lets you pick your permanent domicile within what, 70 square miles maybe? You've already been there and done that and you hated it. 3) I've lived in Chicago pretty much my whole life (minus a few stints here and there) and I wouldn't live anywhere else. Your speak as if Chicago is the only city you can get hired in, your career is used in every city, county, and state in the damn country. If you don't like my city then leave. Why would you want to work here if you hate it so much? Don't talk to me like I don't know what it's like to have to make residency requirements for a career, you know what it's like to sleep in the desert for seven months and Chicago is a lot more attractive of an option. It doesn't matter if NONE of us "know what it's like" to have a residency requirement. We ALL know what it's like to make sacrifices and if those sacrifices are too much for us to make we ALL know how to LEAVE. let me guess, you grew up in the suburbs, you work for Chicago for the action, but don't want to reside around us? Get a job in a busy suburb and get out, quit crying. You should be lucky to have a career with such good benefits and decent pay, a lot of Americans are struggling. The ISP let you move around throughout your career, go to them.

[inout6yrs]

Did you sign up for this job HOPING residency would just go away? Guess what, it isn't. MY great city of Chicago (and I say MY because you probably were a suburban snob, Officer J, who called MY CITY home from your cul-de-sac house) will never turn into the next Detriot. BOTH of my parents have residency requirements and wouldn't have raised me or my siblings anywhere else in the world. If you were proud of your job, proud of this city, than you wouldn't be crying over residency. You need to sack up and raise your kids where they can ride their bikes to the park, walk home from school, and not worry that the sidewalk ends at the end of their fake community.

As for your wannabe comment, you're the wannabe. You wish you were born and raised in this amazing city that pays for everything you give to that family of your's.

[BearsSox]

Gettin a little feisty in here.

I do love Chicago as much as you guys, lived on the south side all my life up until joining the military. But it would be nice to have no residency requirement. Wouldn't it be nice to buy a 1800 sq ft house for 140 thousand that's only a few years old? As opposed to a house that costs twice as much that was built in the 1920's?

[ChiTownDet]

.... Wouldn't it be nice to buy a 1800 sq ft house for 140 thousand that's only a few years old? As opposed to a house that costs twice as much that was built in the 1920's?

What planet is this located on?