Fewer city employees living in Baltimore, new data show

Last month we reported that more than 40 percent of Baltimore City government employees live outside the city, according to the city's Open Baltimore website, which used data from December.

Those records have been updated, and they show an even larger share of municipal workers now reside outside city limits. As of June 30, 47 percent of employees live elsewhere, up from 44 percent in December.

The municipal government has 14,457 employees, of whom 7,726 are reported to be city residents. As of Dec. 1, the city had about 100 more employees (14,559), and nearly 500 more city dwellers in its ranks: 8,221.

Ryan O'Doherty, a spokesman for MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blake, said in an email that he had no comment on the new figures. Last month he raised concerns about the earlier Open Baltimore data, in particular the way the city's website categorized "Mayor's Office" staff members.

O'Doherty said at the time that some information "appears to be incorrect" and several positions labeled mayor's office are "not actually Mayoralty budgeted positions" but may fall under the inspector general, CitiStat and criminal justice office.

The new tally lists 86 employees under "Mayor's Office," with 52 (or 60 percent) living in Baltimore, 20 in Baltimore County and two out of state. The December list showed 111 Mayor's Office employees, with 65 (59 percent) in the city, 21 in Baltimore County and 16 outside Maryland.

Maryland law prohibits the city and counties from imposing residency requirements, although for some job openings Baltimore gives higher consideration to applicants who live in the city.