City of Philadelphia - File #: 060432

• File #: 060432
• Version: 0
• Type: Bill
• Status: LAPSED
• File created: 5/18/2006
• In control: Committee on Labor and Civil Service
• Title: Amending Section 20-101 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Residence Requirements," by providing that an employee in the civil service need not be a bona fide resident of the City when appointed, but must establish and maintain bona fide residence in the City within six months after appointment.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember DiCicco
• Indexes: RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
6/15/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	ORDERED PLACED ON THIS DAY`S FIRST READING CALENDAR
6/15/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	SUSPEND THE RULES OF THE COUNCIL	Pass
6/15/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	ORDERED PLACED ON NEXT WEEK`S SECOND READING CALENDAR
6/12/2006	0	Committee on Labor and Civil Service	HEARING NOTICES SENT
6/12/2006	0	Committee on Labor and Civil Service	HEARING HELD
6/12/2006	0	Committee on Labor and Civil Service	REPORTED FAVORABLY, RULE SUSPENSION REQUESTED
5/18/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	Referred
5/18/2006	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Amending Section 20-101 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Residence Requirements," by providing that an employee in the civil service need not be a bona fide resident of the City when appointed, but must establish and maintain bona fide residence in the City within six months after appointment.
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphia's residency requirement for its municipal employees has helped foster stable neighborhoods and economic opportunities for its residents, and everyone agrees that continuing to require residence as a term of employment is in the best interest of the City; and

WHEREAS, City employees not in the civil service have six months to establish City residency according to the Home Rule Charter, and civil service employees have no residency requirement under the Charter, but in 1953 a two-tiered system was created by Council, requiring all civil service employees to reside in the City for at least one year prior to appointment; and

WHEREAS, Different standards for residence creates an appearance of preferential treatment, and one uniform residency policy is in the best interest of all City employees; and

WHEREAS, Considering that Philadelphia lost nearly 70,000 residents in the last decade and half a million residents since 1950, a new approach is needed which would encourage people to move into the City, including potential applicants for City jobs; and

WHEREAS, Requiring that job applicants have to already live in the City hinders Philadelphia's ability to attract the most qualified applicants from anywhere and also discourages potential employees from moving to the City; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia and Boston are the only major cities that require civil servants to be city residents for a year before appointment, and other major cities have recently decided to eliminate their residency requirements in order to attract more residents; and

WHEREAS, As Mayor Joe Clark said in 1951 when Council overturned his veto of the pre-...