Fear Impact on Minorities
2 Key Councilmen Rap Residency Bill

By REUVEN BLAU

Two influential black City Council Members last week joined the growing chorus of legislators opposed to a bill that would allow District Council 37 members to live outside the city, citing concerns that the measure will limit job opportunities for their constituents.

ROBERT JACKSON: Don't open floodgates.

Council Members Robert Jackson of Manhattan and Leroy Comrie of Queens said they were adamantly against the proposed measure, which is a key provision of DC 37's new contract negotiated in July.

Break for Incumbents?

"If someone lives and works in New York City for 10 years and they want to move out, I'm not going to stand in their way," Mr. Jackson said during a Dec. 21 phone interview.

But the Manhattan Councilman added that he is "totally against" allowing jobs designated for city residents to be offered to people outside the city. "That's a hurdle that will not be leaped," he remarked.

Mr. Comrie, who is the Council's Majority Whip, said he was "philosophically" opposed to the legislation. "I'm concerned that we open up Pandora's box," he asserted. "And we lose every civil service worker in the city."

LEROY COMRIE: Protect constituents' chances.

Wanda Williams, DC 37's political action director, said the union was working to persuade the Council. "We are continuing our lobbying efforts," she remarked last week. "Everybody is not going to be supportive, but we are hopeful that this bill will get passed."

Major Issue

The stakes are high, as the dispute threatens to torpedo a key provision in DC 37's new contract allowing its members to live in six nearby state counties outside New York City - a right already extended to uniformed employees and Teachers. The issue affects several other civilian unions that negotiated eased residency requirements this summer.

Mr. Comrie pointed out that he supports the idea requiring Police Officers and Firefighters to live in the city. "I've been asking for that to become mandatory," he said, noting that the State Legislature has opposed making that switch.

A significant portion of the police and firefighting forces consist of those who lived in the surrounding suburbs at the time that they were hired. Under the Public Officers' Law, they are permitted to live in any of six state counties which either border the city or are adjacent to those that do: Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam.

LILLIAN ROBERTS: Some unexpected static.

Mr. Jackson, the co-chair of the Council's Black and Latino Caucus, said that the entire group has voiced concerns over the DC 37 residency proposal. "Many individual members of the caucus feel this way," he remarked.

Several Council Members are also worried that the city's tax base will decrease if union members are permitted to reside outside the city. But based on the union deal, persons who live outside the five boroughs would have to agree to pay the city income tax, a change which would require an amendment to the city's Administrative Code.

Test Bonus for Residents?

Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., who heads the Civil Service and Labor Committee, has suggested giving an added credit to city residents who pass civil service exams. The Bloomberg administration, however, has said that it is against giving city-dwellers five points' credit on job tests.

But even that amendment may not be enough, Mr. Jackson and several others indicated last week. "I am pretty adamant for not opening jobs for people outside New York City," Mr. Jackson asserted.

Some have also recommended that the bonus be granted only to individuals who have graduated from high schools in the city. Capt. Paul Washington, president of the Vulcan Society, an organization of black firefighters, has supported that idea, which he contends will ensure that individuals have knowledge of the city.

Last summer, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts convinced Mayor Bloomberg that housing costs in the city were so high that it was unfair to restrict union members to living in the five boroughs.

Claims City Soft-Pedals

One Council Member, however, said he was surprised the Bloomberg administration hadn't taken a more vocal stance on the issue, as it has with similar measures.

Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley denied that was the case. "We are supporting the bill wholeheartedly," he asserted last week. "We have our shoulder to the wheel."

Many believe easing the residency restrictions for DC 37 does not even begin to solve the housing crisis. "I think it's a failure of the administration that we can't do enough to house those working in the city," Mr. Comrie said. The Queens Councilman suggested the Bloomberg administration expand affordable housing programs and initiatives.

The city has already set aside 5 percent of the units in new developments for municipal employees. City workers can also apply for interest-free mortgages, receive preferential treatment via a lottery system for the right to purchase city property at reduced prices, and get priority in other city housing programs.

As for the legislation, Mr. Jackson said he will not even entertain the bill. "This is a no-brainer for me. I'm not moving on this. I'm looking for the best for the people of New York City."