Elgin mayor stresses ‘stability’ in annual State of the City address

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain told business leaders this week that the city’s focus on financial and governmental stability over the past 10 years will help them navigate the next 10.

“We are going to try to guarantee a stable economy for the city of Elgin for the next decade,” Kaptain said during his annual State of the City address Wednesday.

Kaptain said it had been a turbulent year for the country since his last address, which is hosted annually by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and Elgin Development Group at Elgin Community College.

“When you have instability around you, you provide stability within,” he said.

Kaptain touted the diversification of the city’s budget over the past decade, which saw its first increase in the general property tax levy in 11 years in the recently approved 2026 budget.

“It’s been stable finances for the community, it’s been stable for businesses, and that’s one of the reasons businesses choose to move to Elgin,” he said.

In ticking off accomplishments, Kaptain said the city, which has grown to Illinois’ sixth largest, ranked No. 5 for best places to live in the state by U.S. News and World Report and No. 1 for safest and most affordable city in America by GOBankingRates.com.

He said downtown redevelopment has added residential units with The Courtyard 40, as well as general improvement projects such as upgrades to DuPage Court. He said more is on the way with the North Grove Redevelopment Area Plan near the Gail Borden Public Library.

“Great things have been evolving downtown, and through the use of the TIF money we’ve been building and expanding our future,” Kaptain said.

Kaptain said Elgin leads Kane County in affordable housing, noting the recent openings of Giffords Landing, Hanover Landing and Wildwood Commons in the city.

“Affordable housing can influence the whole community, it causes a ripple effect” Kaptain said. “It opens a variety of options for people and that’s what I’m about and that’s what the city of Elgin is about.”

Kaptain said “residential growth will drive the industrial growth,” adding that commercial and industrial vacancy rates are at 6% and retail vacancy rates are at 4%.

“Twenty years ago, that was unheard of. We’re full,” he said. “We need to expand, we’re looking for more businesses, we’re looking for more commercial.”

Kaptain also touted improvements to amenities including the expansion of the Elgin Sports Complex, Jack Cook Regional Park, the Lords Park Pool Renovation and expansion of the Hemmens Cultural Center.

He suggested those types of improvements attract new business, adding that seven or eight years ago, people always used to ask him when the city would get a Starbucks. Elgin now has five standalone locations.

“Businesses make the decisions. We need to make this an attractive community. and that’s our job as a city,” he said. “That’s our goal and that’s what’s made us successful.”

His address marked about one year since the residents of the Tent City homeless encampment were moved to the Lexington Inn and Suites and the site was remediated.

Kaptain said the city has since hired a homeless director and its Unsheltered Pilot Program was recognized by the state as a top project. That, coupled with a recent investment by Wayside Cross Ministries to add a new shelter on State Street, will go a long way toward tackling the issue, he added.

“We will be able to address all the homeless people in the city of Elgin and provide them a future that they many not have had less than two years ago,” Kaptain said. “Supportive housing, education and an opportunity to move on.”

In addition to recapping the past year, Kaptain proposed the city and groups including Elgin Community College, the Elgin Area Chamber and Development Group, and Elgin Area School District U-46 work together to provide a series of community discussions on artificial intelligence.

“Each of us look at it through a different lens,” he said. “No matter what business you’re in, it’s going to affect us all.”

He suggested investing in skills development for the AI economy, guiding the Elgin workforce in securing both knowledge and skilled trade workers, and assisting all businesses in adapting.

“It’s coming, whether we want it or not,” he said of AI. “How do we deal with it as a city? How do we deal with it as a community?”