Officials keep an eye on state residency rules

By Jason Arndt

Correspondent

Village Fire Commission members are closely monitoring the developments of State Assembly Bill 40, due to the potential of loosening the Union Grove/Yorkville residency requirements.

Wisconsin’s budget bill is currently pending final approval from Gov. Scott Walker and could ease requirements of firefighters employed with the fire department.

Passage of the bill would increase the distance radius of service employees from one mile to less than 15 miles from respective jurisdictions across the State of Wisconsin – and local commission members are in the process of assessing firefighters’ residences to determine how it affects the Village of Union Grove.

“We do not know that yet because the law has not been signed by the governor,” trustee Michael Younglove explained Monday night, at a Village Board meeting. “We are trying to find out if it affects us.”

Following a narrow 17-16 vote in the state Senate for the passing of the budget, one of the items in the bill contains the issue of residency among public safety officials, including law enforcement and fire departments.

Law enforcement public safety in the Village will not be affected by the passage of the budget by Governor Walker.

“We don’t employ law enforcement, at this time we contract out to the Sheriff’s department for services,” Younglove noted.

For more Village Board coverage, see the June 28 edition of the Westine Report.