Emanuel to Uphold Residency Rule for City Workers

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 15, 2011 7:30PM

Mayor-elect Emanuel announced today that, after consideration and meeting with his transition committee, he will uphold the residency rule requiring city workers to live within the city limits. In doing so, Emanuel came close to repeating the "servants" campaign ad gaffe that gave Gery Chico a faint glimmer of hope in last month's election.

“They are more than police and fire. They are anchors in a neighborhood. They’re the Little League coaches, the hockey coaches, the volunteers at the place of worship. They are anchors — not just in their block, but in their community. That’s an investment I’m not ready to turn my back on,” Emanuel said.

Some (like us) certainly see it that way. Others, like cops and firefighters longing to live openly in connecting suburbs, may not. Even more (like us again) might find the irony of Emanuel upholding residency rules for city workers given the residency challenges to his campaign a delicious irony. Still others may construe this as a big Emanuel raspberry at the police and firefighters unions that endorsed Chico in the election. Regardless, the Fraternal Order of Police and Firefighters Union Local 2 leadership, said they'll abide by Emanuel's decision while hoping that he is open to revisiting it in the future.

Until then, Chicago cops and firemen who may be living in Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Berwyn, Cicero and other immediate suburbs will have to continue doing so on the sly.