Camden City Council keeps residency rule

A shocked and angry City Council unanimously rejected a surprise attempt yesterday by Camden's chief operating officer to get rid of the residency requirement for police officers and firefighters.

The measure would repeal a section of the city code that requires those public-safety employees to live in the city at the time of their hiring.

"I think this is extremely unfair," Councilman William Spearman said. "We not only need to vote this down, but we need to go to war."

The state-appointed chief operating officer, Theodore Z. Davis, was not at the council meeting yesterday; he had the business administrator introduce the ordinance on his behalf. It was not on the agenda.

As part of the 2002 Camden recovery law, Davis can introduce ordinances and overrule council actions. If he vetoes yesterday's vote, which he is likely to do, two-thirds of the council would have to vote to override that veto.

If that happens, the matter would be decided in arbitration by a judge.

But Davis' chief of staff, Brett Waters, said things should be cleared up before that. He said in an interview that the ordinance was actually not controversial, because it simply sought to get rid of an unnecessary city law.

State rules on civil service already require that Camden residents be hired first for police and firefighter positions, Waters said.

Still, Councilman Gilbert "Whip" Wilson, a former Camden police officer, said the ordinance meant: "The heck with Camden, let's go outside" for officers and firefighters.

Since the current residency requirement ends after the police officers and firefighters are hired, many move out of town anyway.

But at least, Wilson said, many grow up in Camden, understand the city and know its streets.

Fire Chief Joseph Marini said he was not consulted about the proposed change.

The president of the firefighters' union, Kenneth Chambers, said the ordinance "takes jobs away from kids in Camden."

The ordinance was rejected 6-0, with Councilwoman Dana Redd, a mayoral candidate, abstaining. Discussion is expected to continue at a special meeting next Tuesday.