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Wilkes-Barre seeking proof to verify where a dozen of its 300 employees live.
WILKES-BARRE – The 12 city employees whose residency is under review have been asked to provide proof of where they live, Mayor Tom Leighton said.
The city has been looking into the matter since July 1, when it received several anonymous tips that some of the city’s 300 employees did not meet the residency requirement.
Christine Jensen, the city’s human resources director, said the city can verify residency in a number of ways, including PennDOT records, mortgage records, utility records and/or surveillance.
Once the review is completed, Jensen said those employees found to be in violation of the requirement could be given time to move into the city. The city can terminate any employee who does not comply with the rule, she said.
“Regardless of one’s thoughts on the residency requirements, one does exist for residents of the City of Wilkes-Barre and must be adhered to as other work rules,” Jensen said. “A disregard for any work rule is a violation which must be addressed.”
Jensen said the city always hires the most qualified applicant and said the residency requirement does not mean people are hired because of political reasons.
A job applicant’s residency is always verified before hiring, she said, noting that factors such as marriages and relocation may change an employee’s place of residence after they have been hired. She said those who do not meet the residency requirement at the time of hire are given a period of time to move into the city. In June, all city employees were given affidavits seeking verification of residency. The documents were to be returned to city officials in July.
All city employees, except for police, are required to live in the city. The police were granted a 10-mile radius exception through a 1993 arbitrator ruling.