Council Okays Easing Residency Rules But Mayoral Veto Likely

The City Council passed a bill June 19 that would ease residency requirements for all civilian city employees not covered by the law enacted in February for District Council 37 members, although Mayor Bloomberg is expected to veto it.

Intro. 992, introduced by Councilman Bill de Blasio, requires workers to live in the city for two years before gaining the right to move to six nearby counties in New York State.

Council Insisted on Condition

A previous bill extended these rights to members of DC 37, but not to other unions also bound by the residency restrictions enacted in 1986. Unions were originally granted immediate easing of residency requirements in contract deals starting in mid-2006, but the Council refused to pass legislation without some restrictions.

The mandate of two years of service was added after a drive by Councilman Robert Jackson, who feared that city workers would face increased competition if people outside the five boroughs could apply for city jobs without having to move.

Because of that caveat, and the fact that the first Council bill covered only DC 37 members, the Mayor vetoed the bill, although that was overridden by the Council. Labor Relations Commissioner James F. Hanley reiterated the Mayor's objection to the two-year limit at the hearing on Intro. 992, saying Mr. Bloomberg would only enact the bill if that provision was removed.

Mayoral spokesman Jason Post confirmed in a phone interview that the Mayor "intends to veto" Intro. 992.