YORK, Pa. — The York City Council held a town hall Feb. 9 to discuss a proposed resolution to amend the city’s residency requirements for non-union city employees.
A bill passed in 1994 requires city employees to live within York City limits. The resolution, which would affect about 90 employees, would change the requirements so employees could live anywhere in York County or in contiguous counties, including Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Hartford, Baltimore and Carroll Counties.
York City officials said multiple departments have had trouble filling jobs because of the strict residency requirements. York, a 5.34 square-mile city of roughly 49,000 people, doesn’t have enough qualified people to fill some positions, they said.
“Currently we have four positions that have been vacant for over a year,” said Chaz Green, director of York City Public Works Department.
At the town hall meeting held at Logos School, 15 community members spoke, a majority of whom supported the amendment.
“The current residency statute was designed to benefit the residents of the city, but I believe it no longer provides a net benefit,” said York resident Mike Buckingham.
“The net must be cast wider,” said another resident.
“I want to be a part of the solution, but we need more employees to fill these positions,” said Chastity Frederick, a registered nurse with the city health bureau.
A few spoke against the proposal.
“If they live here, they're going to care more,” one York resident said.
“We need to change what we're doing rather than continue or make it worse and letting all this money leave the city,” another resident added.
York City Mayor Michael Helfrich did not attend the meeting because he was getting over the flu, but did weigh in during his weekly Monday Message, pointing out city residents would still be favored in the hiring process.
“We can get the benefits of hiring city residents but without being stuck without filling positions, in some cases for over two years,” Helfrich said.
The issue stems from York City Fire Chief Chad Deardorff, who learned he could lose his job if he doesn't move into the city by the end of February. Deardorff lives four miles away in West Manchester Township.
“Where you lay your head at night or where you put your floor mat, your welcome mat, doesn't dictate how you do your job,” Deardorff told FOX43 in an interview last week.
The city council rejected a waiver request by Deardorff's to stay in his current home.
The resolution would only affect city employees and not department heads like Deardorff.
Deardorff’s wife said at a city council meeting last week that one of their sons has “struggles” related to a premature birth, and moving him to a new home and school would have “devastating effects” on him. Deardorff has said he would likely resign if the city council doesn’t allow him to stay living in West Manchester Township.