Councilors Flaherty and Linehan create Residency Commission

Councilors Flaherty and Linehan create Residency Commission

             Councilor-At-Large Michael Flaherty, working with Council President Bill Linehan, recently filed an order to create a Residency Policy Commission.  The order passed in the City Council and was signed by Mayor Walsh.

            Councilors Flaherty and Linehan created the Commission in response to the inconsistent residency requirements for city employees.  The Residency Policy is a complicated and controversial issue that dates back to 1973 – when the first residency law was passed.  Residency requirements are defined by city ordinance, collective bargaining agreements, and state law.  This creates many different sets of requirements for different employees.  Consistency and fairness are important to attract and retain the talented employees our city relies on every day.

            The Commission’s goal is to examine the residency policies now in place in the City of Boston, and make recommendations on whether or not the policies should be changed.  The Commission will be composed of seven members, and will present their findings to the City Council and Mayor this year.

            Councilor Linehan said about the Commission:  “Councilor Flaherty and I filed an order to create this commission in response to the inconsistent rules governing residency for city employees.  We want to make sure any possible changes are discussed in an open, transparent forum, which this Commission provides.  It is important we ensure that all city employees are treated fairly and equitably.”

            Councilor Flaherty added, “During the previous administration, the enforcement of the residency policy was politically selective and very inconsistent. At times, this rule was altogether ignored. The Residency Policy Commission intends to improve equity among all City of Boston employees and their supervisors. My hope is that the recommendations by this Commission will offer an efficient solution for implementing and enforcing residency requirements.”

            The Commission should be appointed this month.  Meetings will be open to the public.