Updated on May 15 at 1:51 p.m.
The Burlington City Council agreed to allow Superintendent of Schools Yaw Obeng to continue living outside of the city — but not before reigniting a lengthy debate about residency requirements.
The council voted 9-3 to extend the residency exemption for Obeng, who settled in South Burlington from Canada when he took the job in 2015. This time the measure extends the residency exemption indefinitely — “as long as Dr. Obeng holds the position of superintendent,” according to the resolution.
Some city department heads are required to be Burlington voters, which means they must live in the city. Obeng contended on Monday that his family’s suburban setup met the requirements for a “hardship exemption” under city ordinance.
The first vote, when he took the job, triggered controversy as Burlingtonians argued that Obeng should be subject to the same taxes and policies he implements as superintendent. On Monday, some spoke up with similar concerns.
“Any decision he makes should affect his children as well as ours,” Mayumi Cornell, a mother of a Burlington student, told the council. “I don’t think that’s fair.”
When the city hired Obeng, then-school board chair Mark Porter wrote a letter to the city council assuring them that Obeng would move to the Queen City in the future. “Dr. Obeng intends to establish his residency in Burlington and to work assiduously on securing his work visa and U.S. Citizenship,” Porter wrote in April 2015.
Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District), who opposed the measure Monday, argued that Obeng did not fulfill the commitment promised in the original 2015 letter.
Obeng said that he did not know about the requirement, or about the email that Porter sent. “I beg your forgiveness around the order of operations,” he said to the council.
Councilor Max Tracy (P-Ward 2) also voted against granting the exemption, saying that living in Burlington should not be considered a hardship but “a privilege.” “I think there’s something to be said for feeling our pleasure and our pain,” he said.
Other councilors noted that Obeng’s request is one of many such exemptions that the council has approved.
According to Councilor Brian Pine (P-Ward 3), nine of 21 city department heads — including outgoing Community and Economic Development Office director Noelle MacKay, Burlington Electric Department general manager Neale Lunderville and city planner David White — also live outside Burlington.
The mayor’s office on Tuesday issued a clarification to Pine’s comment, saying only 16 department heads are required to live in the city. Of those, five — including Obeng — have hardship exemptions to live elsewhere.
School board chair Clare Wool wrote a letter in support of Obeng’s residency exemption, arguing that Obeng has “a sufficient connection to the community to be able to be fully aware of its needs and also to be rapidly responsive.”
In the end, councilors emphasized the need to support the schools, especially to promote reconciliation in the weeks following an investigation into possible racism on the school board, a contentious preschool building plan and a nearly 8 percent budget increase that voters approved in March. Earlier this year, the council approved another three-year contract for Obeng.
“I strongly believe this would … send us right back into turmoil and uncertainty,” Councilor Jane Knodell (P-Central District) said of a vote against the exemption. “It would do nothing good.”
Corrections, May 15, 2018: A previous version of this story did not accurately characterize Joan Shannon’s objection and misstated the number of department heads that must live in the city.
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Whether or not Obeng lives in Burlington or does his job from Canada as was once briefly the case, I don’t see how selling a South Burlington home in a seller’s market to buy one in Burlington creates a hardship. I don’t have a huge problem with granting him the exemption but at least be transparent about it.
Well guess some will be called racism now.. because “Dr. Obeng intends to establish his residency in Burlington and to work assiduously on securing his work visa and U.S. Citizenship,” Porter wrote in April 2015. Obeng did not fulfill the commitment promised in the original 2015 letter.
Obeng said that he did not know about the requirement, or about the email that Porter sent. I call BULLS—.
How can he vote if he’s not a citizen? Does he pay taxes? He knows what he’s doing..He doesn’t secure his work visa and US Citizenship. ship him back to Canada.
Simple fix: Live where you want–Mars, whatever. Send your kids to BTV school. That’s it!
Can I also say that, if you’re too stupid to figure out the Chittenden-County real-estate situation, then maybe you’re not up to the job of running the Burlington school district.
Why are they bending over backwards for this man? The crap they went through to get him here- was expensive and obscene. SMARTEN UP BURLINGTON SCHOOL BOARD- enough is enough. And what a horrid message- nobody good eenough instate or in country to fill this position? Then the system is failing miserably.
“…Nine of 21 city department heads including outgoing Community and Economic Development Office director Noelle MacKay, Burlington Electric Department general manager Neale Lunderville and city planner David White also live outside Burlington.”
I see the rub, but until the other department heads are no longer allowed to be exempted from the rule, it seems kind of silly to single out Dr. Obeng. What’s good for one should be good for all, or change the rule.
If they broadly don’t enforce the rule, they should drop it. What’s the point of giving tons of exemptions? It basically means anyone who doesn’t want to follow the rule doesn’t need to.
I think there’s a little bit of special prejudice on display in the comments here, who cares if he’s from Canada or anywhere else? He doesn’t need to “secure U.S. citizenship” because being able to vote isn’t a job requirement for a school superintendent.
He can’t send his kids to Burlington schools while living in South Burlington because that is illegal (his school taxes are paid to SB, not Burlington district schools). Just accept reality and change the rule, or enforce it against everyone.
Is there any rule or policy left that has not been bent, bruised, or broken for this man?
Simple rule….elected Burlington official, live in our wonderful city of Burlington.
GeishaGirl – none of the people living outside of Burlington in this article, including Obeng, are elected officials.
The residency requirement is outdated and should be dropped for all non-elected Burlington officials. By limiting applicants to Burlington residents, the pool of qualified applicants shrinks to near zero for these leadership positions. When the applicant pool is tiny, then the city ends up with less qualified employees, which benefits neither the city nor its residents. It’s time to drop the rule.
Nate Awich, please see Written’s comment about our Burlington “elected” officials. They are “elected” by the School Board, City departments, etc….and DO live outside the Burlington district.
In November of 2015, Obeng and his wife bought a house in So. Burlington for $440,000! I’d certainly like to know how the nine city councilors who voted to allow the exemption to stand define HARDSHIP. That Obeng doesn’t pay Burlington taxes and his kids don’t go to our schools is an insult. This city’s political nonsense are a disgrace. https://issuu.com/7days/docs/seven_days__a…