Jamestown City Council member Bill Reynolds discusses residency requirements for Department Heads (April 7, 2025)
Jamestown City Council members discussed a proposed local law that would remove the residency requirement for Department Heads.
The law, proposed by Council member Bill Reynolds, would amend the City Charter to allow appointees who are qualified via Civil Service Law to reside or move to areas in Chautauqua County or adjoining New York State Counties.
Reynolds said there are 11 appointed Department Heads employed by the City of Jamestown who are affected by the current residency requirement. He said currently, the city can use Home Rule to have City Council approve the appointment of a Department Head who does not live in the city or they can change the charter, “With these 11 positions and the likelihood of not having the best qualified person living in the city, this gives the administration, I believe, some latitude and having the right candidate, if you would, or the most qualified candidate be allowed to be appointed.”
City Corporation Counsel Elliot Raimondo said there are a few department heads, like City Clerk, that would need State Legislature approval to live outside of the city.
Council member at large Jeff Russell said it was important to have dialogue on the issue. He said he has always advocated for police and fire employees to live in the city, “When I was working at the Police Department, it was sometimes discouraging to see people every other Friday take their paycheck and drive to Westfield, Fredonia, Dunkirk, or wherever. It was even more disturbing when some of those people, say they were on a Civil Service list, they were in the top three, and one of the top three might be a Jamestown resident who was living in the city.. they don’t get the promotion but the guy from Westfield gets it.”
Russell said he does share similar concerns to Council member Reynolds about being able to find good talent in Jamestown.
Council President Tony Dolce said people have strong feelings about the residency requirement, “It’s a challenge sometimes, particularly with some of the Department Heads who require certain titles, certain qualifications, licensing, and that does become a challenge.”
Dolce said he, himself, has strong feelings about how much the department heads are paid, some in the six figure range, and he wants to see those employees live and invest in Jamestown. He said he’s open to some changes but doesn’t want to get five years down the line and have 11 department heads living outside Jamestown.
Mayor Kim Ecklund said when it comes to the upcoming retirement of Deputy Fire Chief Matt Coon, that the city has already received more than a dozen applications from people in and outside Chautauqua County. She said there some very qualified candidates who have the necessary training for the job.
Dolce encouraged council members to continue discussing the issue and asking questions about the issue.
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