Budget prep is Elgin’s No. 1 focus

ELGIN — The agendas for the city council's committee of the whole and regular meetings Wednesday night are relatively light. And City Manager Sean Stegall said they probably will be light again at the first meeting in November.

The big reason: Staff is readying a preliminary draft of Elgin's budget, which will unveil how the city intends to cover anticipated shortfalls of up to $6 million.

To that end, Stegall held a private meeting Monday afternoon with three ranking members of Elgin Association of Firefighters Local 439.

Union president Lt. John Fahy said the cordial meeting touched on how to lop $1.5 million from the department's budget, plus possible ways the department could generate revenue down the road. The talk comes on top of $1.2 million cut Oct. 15 when the city let go 12 non-union employees across city departments.

Fahy said firefighters "realize these are tough times and are willing to make concessions." At the same time, he noted the union would be more than reluctant to accept any moves it would see as reduction in public safety — namely, a reduction in staff or a reliance on more "jump companies" — crews that work either an ambulance or a truck, taking whichever call comes in first and leaving the other vehicle unmanned.

Monday morning, Stegall said he was setting up a similar meeting with Service Employees International Union Local 73, which represents public works and water department workers.

The outcomes of these will figure into the budget document, a draft of which should reach council members for a first look sometime between Friday and next Tuesday, Stegall said. A week from Wednesday (Nov. 4), the council will meet for an overview of that draft. Further sessions are set for Nov. 11. Nov. 18, and Dec. 2. Approval of the budget is slated for Dec. 16.