City manager responds to Residencygate - WFXG FOX 54 - News Now

Changes were made to a city ordinance and high-ranking directors were disciplined on Friday, five weeks after a FOX19 Investigation exposed Cincinnati department leaders who were not complying with city rules.

Cincinnati's Interim City Manager Scott Stiles has amended residency requirements for city department directors, according to a memo he sent council members. He also took disciplinary action against two directors who falsely claimed to live within city limits. 

Tony Parrott, head of the Metropolitan Sewer District, will be docked 40 hours of vacation time and has been given 180 days to establish city residency, Stiles indicated in the memo.

As a city department director, Parrott was required to live within Cincinnati limits, but FOX19's Investigation revealed he actually lived in Butler County while supplying the city with a Westwood Avenue address. That Westwood Avenue address was a vacant lot.

The discovery was dubbed ‘Residencygate' by council members and prompted city leaders to take a closer look at the issue.

"It really pains me and is just unfathomable that you'd be part of the team that runs the city and not want to live here. The city is good enough to work in, the city is good enough to earn a paycheck from but not live here," Council Member Wendell Young told FOX19 on Friday. Young requested an internal investigation last month based on FOX19's findings.

Kenneth Glenn, Director of the Citizen Complaint Authority, also claimed to live within the city, when in fact he lives in West Chester. Glenn had provided the city with an address to a home on Whetsel, where FOX19 discovered his brother-in-law had been living for 30 years.

Stiles said he met with Glenn about the discrepancy during which time he accepted Glenn's retirement effective July 1.

Stiles also amended city regulations to now require only eight directors to live within the city. Prior to Friday's amendment, more than a dozen directors had to follow the residence rule.

It will require a vote of three-fourths of the members of council to change the ordinance back to its original standards. Wendell Young said he intends to discuss it with other members of council. 

Read the Financial Disclosure Statements.

FOX19 Investigates: City Leaders living outside Cincinnati

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