Elgin City Council Approves Salary Increase for City Manager After Comprehensive Study

The Committee of the Whole and Regular City Council Meeting for Elgin, Illinois, held on August 13, 2025, focused on the evaluation and compensation of the city manager, among other agenda items. The meeting began with a report from council members regarding the city manager review process, which they led alongside Miss Powell.

During the review, the council engaged MGT Consulting to conduct a salary study comparing the city manager's compensation to that of 16 other municipalities. The findings revealed that the city manager was underpaid, falling below the fiftieth percentile in compensation. To address this, the council proposed a contract amendment aimed at raising the city manager's salary to a competitive level, ensuring that future candidates for the position would be attractive and qualified.

Miss Powell elaborated on the parameters of the salary study, noting that 14 out of the 16 surveyed communities were used for comparison, as the other two had differing government structures. Key factors considered in the study included equalized assessed value, per capita income, population, total budget expenditures, number of full-time employees, state sales tax revenue, property tax revenue, and proximity to Elgin.

The council members expressed appreciation for the thoroughness of the study, emphasizing the importance of regularly reviewing the city manager's salary, which had not been done in the past 14 years. They also mentioned that a broader salary study for the entire organization is currently underway.

In conclusion, the meeting underscored the council's commitment to ensuring competitive compensation for the city manager, reflecting a proactive approach to governance and personnel management in Elgin.