Ordinance #2025-30, which eliminates residency requirements for numerous high-level City of Freeport positions, passed its first reading after a motion by Alderman Don Parker to suspend the rules—surprisingly seconded by Alderwoman Johnson, mere moments after she was sworn into office. Johnson’s silence during the vote—no questions, no comments, no hesitation—cemented her alignment with the Mayor’s bloc and raised immediate concerns about backroom politics and rubber-stamp governance.

This ordinance had previously failed in a vote, facing backlash from residents who believe those tasked with running the city should actually live in it. That didn’t stop City Manager Rob Boyer, who reintroduced the measure on the very night the council gained its new 5-3 conservative majority.

Boyer recently defended the ordinance by claiming Freeport doesn't have qualified residents for leadership positions—a statement many took as an offensive indictment of the very people he’s paid to serve. Critics argue that this kind of defeatist leadership mindset drives local talent away, rather than fosters it.

With the ordinance now revived and fast-tracked for approval, it's expected to pave the way for the long-rumored handpicked replacement for Community and Economic Development Director Wayne Duckmann. His rumored departure and this ordinance’s timing appear far from coincidental.

What the Ordinance Changes

Ordinance #2025-30 amends the City Code to remove residency requirements for:

• The Deputy City Manager

• Directors of Finance, Public Works, Community Development, IT/GIS, and Human Resources

• The Chiefs of Police and Fire Departments

• High-ranking supervisory officers within the police and fire departments

Previously, many of these roles had to be filled by individuals who resided within the city—or at least within 15 miles of it. Those provisions were added to ensure that Freeport’s leaders were also its neighbors—members of the community they serve and are accountable to.

That accountability is now in question.

Sellers Defends the Indefensible

While most of the Mayor’s loyalists on the council—Parker, Klemm, Shadle, and Johnson—remained silent, Alderwoman Joy Sellers spoke in support of the ordinance, offering praise for the Police Chief’s performance. Her remarks, however, ignored the stark rise in crime and the flood of recent shootings plaguing Freeport.

One resident fired back after the meeting:
“It’s time for me to pack up and follow the Chief’s lead—drive in, clock in, clock out, and get the hell out of the line of fire.”

That blunt comment reflects a growing frustration among citizens who feel their concerns are being dismissed in favor of political convenience.

No Debate. No Deliberation. No Defense of Freeport Residents.

Councilmembers Parker, Shadle, Klemm, Johnson, and Sellers voted in favor of the ordinance. Aside from Sellers’ tone-deaf praise, no explanation was given for stripping away a policy meant to protect community ties and leadership accountability.

A Future of Outsiders at the Helm?

The implications of this ordinance are clear: leadership roles in Freeport can now be filled by outsiders—people with no stake in the local schools, businesses, or neighborhoods. As the city faces growing challenges around infrastructure, crime, economic development, and trust in government, the question becomes:

Can we afford to be led by people who don’t live among us?

Because with Monday night’s vote, that’s no longer just a possibility—it’s policy.

— Fighting4Freeport