[Adopted 12-7-1981 (Ch. 55, Art. II, of the 1987 Code)]
Unless otherwise provided by law, all officers
and employees in classified positions in civil service employed by
the Township of Bloomfield after the effective date of this article
shall be bona fide residents of the Township. A "bona fide resident,"
for the purpose of this article, is a person having a permanent domicile
within the local unit and one which has not been adopted with the
intention of again taking up or claiming a previous residence acquired
outside of the local unit's boundaries.
Unless otherwise provided by law, all applicants
for classified positions in civil service shall be bona fide residents
of the Township of Bloomfield after the effective date of this article.
Unless otherwise provided by law, all officers
and employees employed in classified positions in civil service and
not residents at the time of their permanent appointment shall establish
residency in the Township of Bloomfield within one year of their permanent
appointment.
It shall be the duty of the appointing authority
of the Township of Bloomfield to ensure that all employees hired after
the effective date of this article remain bona fide residents of the
Township. Failure of any such employee to maintain residency in the
Township of Bloomfield shall be cause for removal or discharge from
service.
Whenever the appointing authority shall determine
that there are certain specific positions and employments requiring
special talents or skills necessary for the operations of the Township
and which are not likely to be found among the residents of the Township
of Bloomfield, such positions or employments so determined shall be
filled without reference to residency. Such provisions shall set forth
appropriate documentation as to the nature of the special talent or
expertise required and of the efforts made to recruit persons of such
special talent or expertise from within the Township.
Promotion preference shall be given to bona
fide residents of the Township of Bloomfield. When promotions are
based upon merit, as properly determined, a bona fide resident shall
be given preference over a nonresident in any instance when all other
measurable criteria are equal. Such preference under this section
shall in no way diminish, reduce or affect the preference granted
pursuant to other law.
Nothing contained in this article shall require
residency in the Township where a state statute would allow otherwise.