County Commissioner Craig Kennedy won a victory Tuesday in his effort to reduce employee residency requirements.

The Moore County Board of Commissioners agreed to adopt a policy requiring that only the manager and the assistant manager be required to live in the county or relocate here within nine months of their employment. The policy does retain a clause enabling the board to identify exceptions in situations requiring “effective and efficient delivery of public service.”

“We have too much government in our lives,” Kennedy said as he made a motion to adopt option three from three options prepared by County Attorney Misty Leland.

OPTIONS — The other options included one that would require residency for a specified set of employees, mostly in the public safety sector, and one that would encourage residency for all employees at the departmental leadership level.

At earlier meetings, Kennedy expressed concern that the residency requirement might discourage some highly qualified people from accepting jobs with Moore County. This would be especially true for people with established homes in neighboring counties.

“I just don’t feel the need to require everyone to live here,” he said. “By forcing someone to live in the county, their heart won’t really be in it.”

BUDGET — Also at the Tuesday meeting, County Manager Cary McSwain presented a proposed budget calendar for the 2012-2013 fiscal year to the commissioners.

The calendar calls for joint meetings with the school board and the Sandhills Community College board. Scheduled are work sessions as needed by the board with the public hearing called for a May meeting. If the calendar is approved, the new budget will be adopted at the board’s regular meeting on June 5.

ELLMERS — Congress-woman Renee Ellmers, of the 2nd District, has achieved her first piece of sponsored legislation.

If redistricting maps approved by the state legislature are adopted, Moore County will become part of the 2nd District next year.

Her bill, “Creating Jobs through Small Business Innovation Act of 2011,” was signed into law by President Obama last weekend.

“This legislation will have a dramatic effect on innovators and entrepreneurs throughout the country, allowing them to grow our economy and create jobs,” the freshman Republican said in a statement released Tuesday.

Ellmers said that since 2006 more than 427 awards were granted to small businesses in North Carolina, resulting in thousands of jobs and increased business through innovation.

Her bill extends the scope of the existing Small Business Innovation Research program through investments in small businesses and entrepreneurs. Ellmers said the bill will not cost additional taxpayer dollars.