Your Mayor Wants to Know: Should there be a residency requirement?

Published on February 06, 2025

Today's Scenario: Residency is Required

The Unified Government currently requires all personnel to reside within Wyandotte County within a year of employment. As in many communities, this policy comes up for discussion quite regularly, particularly when it is difficult to fill some positions in local government. There will be a conversation among the Administration & Human Services Standing Committee on Monday, February 24 about this policy for information only. Mayor Garner would like you to weigh in!

Arguments for the Residency Rule

In a 2017 ICMA article, Steven Vinezeano outlines several reasons supporting a residency rule as a condition of employment by local government, including:

• Having staff as residents can help with our emergency response, when needed.
• Residency can promote a better understanding of the community, its challenges and opportunities. This can also help staff feel more connected to the results of their work.
• Confidence in local government increases when managed by residents.
• The residency rule keeps our tax dollars local. Proponents suggest that this helps promote home ownership and discourages middle-class flight.

Arguments against the Residency Rule

There are trade-offs on both sides of the question for you to consider before you weigh in. On the other side of the argument, there are several points by Vinezeano, including: 

• Residency rules result in a smaller, less-qualified pool of talent for hiring.
• Residency requires more generous compensation to help with recruitment.
• Residency reduces the liberty of the employee.

Mayor Garner Asks:

Mayor Tyrone A. Garner would like to know:

"Should Unified Government staff be required to live in Wyandotte County?"

1. Yes, all employees should be required to live in Wyandotte County.
2. Yes, some, but not all, employees should be required to reside in Wyandotte County.
3. No, residency should not be a requirement for employment.
4. Don't know.

Thank you for your responses. The poll is now closed.