Budget Committee Strikes Municipal Employee Residency Requirements

Local government employees would not have to live in the cities they serve, under a measure passed by the legislature’s budget committee Thursday night.

Governor Scott Walker’s budget called for an outright end to residency requirements for local government employees, but some members of his own party pushed back. The most outspoken critic was West Bend Republican Senator Glenn Grothman, who Thursday night told colleagues he was voting for the city of Milwaukee, where Grothman feared ending the residency requirement for city workers would ruin some of the city’s nicest neighborhoods.

“Milwaukee is the biggest city of the state. And it’s the most important city of the state. And some people feel we shouldn’t care about it as much because they don’t vote for people we like. Someday I’d like them to vote for people we like, but to me it’s still the most important city of this state. And maybe I’m wrong today, but I’ll tell you: if this doesn’t work out right, we’re not going to be able to take it back.”

Three other Republicans joined all four Democrats on the legislature’s budget committee in voting to take the residency provision out of the budget. But that unlikely coalition fell one vote short.

In the end, voices like Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) won the day. Lazich said the issue was about local control.

“The most local control is your home and what you do within your home and where you live. And I don’t really think it’s any of the employer’s business where you live.”

Republicans did modify the governor’s budget to require that police, firefighters and other emergency workers live within a 15-mile radius of the city or county they protect. That radius requirement would not apply to other workers, meaning Milwaukee teachers would no longer have to live in the city and could move wherever they want.