After nearly a year of discussion and delay, the City Council introduced an ordinance April 16 to provide a “residency preference” for hiring in the city police and fire departments.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be May 21.
The ordinance introduction followed a heated council session in early April where residents charged that 12 or more non-resident firefighters had apparently been hired by the city manager—who was suspended April 16—despite residents’ repeated calls for hiring more residents when new firefighting and police positions are open.
In addition, an online budget note from the city manager indicated 12 firefighting positions and five police positions would be filled this year, and he indicated lists with qualified candidates had already been prepared.
Resident preference
“If you pass the qualifications test for a [police or fire] department you can be put first in line. That’s in effect what this ordinance does for City of Englewood residents,” said Levi Kool, acting city attorney, describing the ordinance.
Councilwoman Cheryl Rosenberg said she “feel[s] the pain and weight of this issue on both sides.”
“[I] don’t in any way think that because you don’t live in Englewood you don’t care about Englewood, you don’t give back to Englewood,” she added, referring to non-resident police or firefighters care any less about Englewood.
“Every person who serves this city is giving back both on their job and after their job,” she said.
She noted council members “really have an opportunity to give opportunities to our children and our residents who have decided to invest their lives in Englewood. I don’t think we should be excluding anyone…but we should give [residents] a reason to live in Englewood.”
Councilman Michael Cohen said he previously supported a resident preference ordinance.
“I felt strongly about it then and I feel strongly about it now. It’s about time we did this and I’m happy we are,” he said.
Putting residents first
“Bona fide residents of the City of Englewood shall receive preference in hiring over all other residency classes provided they successfully complete the established testing and/or protocol in place for such a position,” states the ordinance.
It defines a “bona fide resident” as “having permanent domicile” within Englewood for 12 months prior to application for employment or “prior to the application for date for the examination in order for a candidate to be given preference based on residency.”
Bergen residents second in line
“Whenever the City Manager shall determine there is not a sufficient number of qualified Englewood residents for available specific positions or employments, the City Manager shall through the director of personnel classify all qualified applicants, preferentially according to bona fide residency in the following order: 1) Englewood residents; 2) Bergen County residents; 3) New Jersey residents; and 4) All other applicants.”
The ordinance notes that the preference established for residents “shall not diminish, reduce or affect” other legal preferences including but not limited to veteran preferences.
It was not clear what effect the proposed ordinance will have on current police/firefighter candidate lists as neither included a resident preference, although six points are added to resident firefighter exams, said a local firefighters’ union representative.
An exception noted
An exception to residency preference included in the ordinance relates to positions “requiring special talents or skills…such as specialized knowledge, abilities, licenses or unique training which are necessary for the operations of the city.
“Then the city manager may fill the same without preference to residents,” notes the ordinance.
Efforts to determine examples of positions that would be exceptions under the ordinance could not be clarified before press time. Also, requests for examples of how a preference would work during the next police and firefighting hiring exams were not provided.
Seven ‘residency standards’
The ordinance lists seven standards for determining legal residency. These include: whether a location is owned or rented; whether time spent locally exceeds other locations; “closeness” of relationships in a local residence; long-term viability of local address; whether legal documents show the same Englewood address; what school district children attend; and whether 12 months of residency occurs prior to exam application date.
A retired human resources director from the city Department of Public Works, Rev. Agnes McClendon, said she lived in Englewood for nearly 60 years and said “she was very concerned with what’s happening here tonight.”
She said the city previously “took great pride in hiring…and made sure there was no discrimination and that the employees represented this city.”
McClendon said the previous residency requirement was five years in town, which allowed residents to get to know the city well.
Residents vs. non-residents
Over 20 residents strongly supported a preference for residents in police and firefighting positions, with several highly critical of non-residents as police and firefighters.
At one point, one resident questioned how Mayor Michael Wildes could say a non-resident would love the city as much as a resident.
Wildes defended his position, citing another mayor’s words to him about the benefits of having non-residents working as police and firefighters.
Wildes said he would do “a deep dive” on local police and fire recruitment and look at how schools are preparing students for future public safety positions.
A current female Englewood police detective, a non-resident, said she has worked for the city for 19 years.
“I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to sit here and tell me I don’t love the city as much as someone who was born here,” she said. “Because I do, I love the city very much.”
Non-resident ‘takes offense’
She said over the last 19 years “I have come to serve this community…and put my life on the line for this city…it’s my job and I love the city very much,” she said, noting she “takes offense” at people who claim because she is a non-resident she does not care for Englewood.
Several residents called for transparency in police and firefighter tests. The ordinance does not address any aspect of transparency, and was not available at the April 16 meeting.
“The thing that bothers me most is we have young men who applied for the fire department and were turned down,” said the longtime resident.
He said he was most annoyed by firefighter candidates not knowing where they stand on a hiring test after taking the exam.
“Englewood kids deserve a chance at least at home,” he concluded.
The ordinance can be viewed by going to the city website, clicking on “Government” and then “Pending Ordinances.” Its web address is: bit.ly/englewoodresidency.