Until further notice, you don’t have to live in the city of Springfield to work for the city of Springfield.
The idea of a moratorium on enforcing the city’s residency rule is to broaden the hiring pool. It’s difficult to find people, and people find it difficult to find a place to live in Springfield. The moratorium, which passed 7-3, is indefinite but will be revisited after a year.
City department heads still must live within the corporate limits. Mayor Misty Buscher told reporters after the meeting one director is still looking for suitable housing, and another is building a house in the city.
The No votes came from Aldermen Shawn Gregory, Roy Williams, and Larry Rockford.