New employees hired by the city of Decatur will be required to live within the city limits for at least five years.
The residency requirement is part of a new labor contract the city council approved Monday.
It applies to newly hired employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 and Local 268.
Council members have been discussing a residency requirement for years.
Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe says having city workers live in Decatur "sends a message that we believe in our community."
Union representative Randy Hellman called the requirement "reasonable" because it allows those who wish to move later in their careers to do so.
New police department employees aren't required to live in Decatur.