Sunday, May 6, 2012

Residency Rule Up For Discussion

The city's residency requirement has been more honored in the breach than observed since Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs took office. It used to mean a lot that a city official lived in the place where he or she got a paycheck, but the cabinet in 2006 included officials from Rahway, Nutley and Jersey City. Currently, one department head and the city administrator are from Trenton, as was the former CFO. Another department head lives in Nutley and one resides in Lake Hopatcong.

The trouble right now is that cabinet terms are concurrent with that of the mayor, who will serve her second term to Dec. 31, 2013. She is running for a third term, but until either April 2013 or November 2013 (depending whether or not you feel the primary decides the election), the next four years are not guaranteed to the incumbent. So if residency requirements are enforced strictly for hiring and promotions, out-of-towners would have to move in a year from being appointed - rather close to the end of the incumbent's term.

It is unclear why residency is emerging as an issue now. Maybe the discussion Monday will clear it up. The meeting is 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice

5 comments:

  1. The Mayor is only continuing a policy as set forth by the McWilliams administration. Strange, how members of the council are always disagreeable with the mayor but actively pursue this flawed policy by voting for various department heads and city administraitors who do not live in Plainfield. Such nonsense to both council and administration.

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  2. People miss Sharon's ploy of waiting until the state forces her to do her job, then the council is forced to act quickly. She might be a bad politician, but she's not stupid. She's just not worth another term.

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  3. Why not look for the most qualified. Isn't that what you would do.

    Would the President look to only Washington DC. Why don't the people that work for Johnson and Johnson live in New Brunswick? Where do you work and live? People have reasons for where they live. Where they grew up, have family etc, cost of PMUA. Stop crying about everything.

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  4. One of the department heads, Public Safety Director, doesn't even live in this state! I think that is appalling!!!

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    1. Where does he live? I thought it was Sussex County.

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