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Evansville commission awards residency bonus point to Vanderburgh County applicants
Summary
On Sept. 9, the Evansville Fire Department of America Mission voted to grant a residency bonus point to applicants who live in Vanderburgh County after staff verified county residency for applicants using a government database.
The Evansville Fire Department of America Mission voted Sept. 9 to award a residency bonus point to applicants who live in Vanderburgh County, a change commissioners said will be used when certifying the hiring list.
The motion—moved by Commissioner Vick and carried by voice vote—directed that Vanderburgh County residents receive a bonus point on the application scoring. Staff said the decision follows a review of applicant addresses using a government database to verify county of residence.
Chief Gert reported that staff identified 44 applicants who live in Vanderburgh County out of a final list of 83. The department's human resources staff pulled reports listing applicants' military status, legacy status and demographic selections; staff said those reports showed 15 applicants identifying as military, seven as legacy, 19 identifying a non-white category and eight females on the final list. Staff said roughly 10 applicants will receive the maximum of two preference points under the three-point preference framework discussed by commissioners.
Officials said the county-residency check was performed by entering applicants' addresses into a publicly available government tool that returns county and school-corporation information. Deputy chief and staff assisted with the verification. Commissioners discussed making county of residence a required field on future applications to simplify verification.
Commissioners clarified the scoring cap: applicants may earn up to two preference points under the commission's point rules (the three-point framework was discussed, with the two-point cap maintained). Commissioners asked that staff find an easier way to export residency data for future application cycles; staff said if applications are accepted through the city system next cycle, the county field can be included so manual checks will not be required.
Why it matters: awarding county-residency preference affects which candidates appear on the certified eligibility list and can influence hiring outcomes. Commissioners said the change is intended to favor local applicants while keeping other preference rules in place.
The motion carried by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.
