Linda Morad Prefers Lifetime Residency Requirement for City Workers

New Bedford City Councillor at Large Linda Morad says the City needs to get back to hiring people from within the community.

Speaking on "The Taylor Cormier Show," Morad says the council has relaxed residency requirements, approving waivers for those who live outside of the community but hold a non-elected municipal position. Morad says that robs the neighborhoods of public servants that care about the city on and off the job. "What we have now is we've given up that requirement for everybody, really, other than elected officials, AFSCME people, and Unit C. Everybody else can live wherever they want after a certain period of time. From my perspective that's not equitable and it's not right," said Morad. Morad says she'd be in favor of a lifetime residency requirement.

In wednesday night's mayoral debate, Maria Giesta suggested using New Bedford's free cash fund to make repairs and renovations to the city's aging firehouses. Morad agrees the buildings need a great deal of work, but says using the rainy day fund to do that would be a misuse of funds. "You can't just willy-nilly spend that money and when one of the 100-year-old sewer lines blows up in the city and you can't provide sewer or water to the city and you can't get a bond, you're gonna need that money." Morad says through the City's Capital Improvement Plan, necessary repairs and renovations to many municipal buildings are being made.

Morad is one of ten candidates vying for five seats in the at Large race. The election is Tuesday, November 3.