Elgin boots Walters, Figueroa from council

Going into Tuesday, there was a strong feeling that one of three Elgin City Council incumbents would not survive the election.

Make that two.

According to final unofficial results, voters bounced longtime council members Juan Figueroa and John Walters.

New to the council with 4-year terms are: Richard Dunne, an Elgin fire lieutenant who topped a field of 10 candidates, and John Prigge, an auctioneer.

Dunne said the residents want transparency in government and to be put before developers. "Those are my two directives from voters," he said.

Dunne also ran on a public safety platform, saying the city needs to treat all people equally and enforce all of its codes on the books.

Prigge took an aggressive stance against illegal immigration, saying the city needs to form a coalition to pressure federal authorities.

Robert Gilliam, a council member since 1973, won another 4-year term and ran largely on his experience, saying he helped guide the city through several recessions and is willing to make tough choices.

Mike Warren, the top vote-getter in the February primary for a two-year seat that was vacated when Mike Powers resigned, once again bested a four-person field.

"This has been an exciting, energizing and tiring journey," he said. "The biggest hurdle the city council is going to face is how we manage our money."