New Elgin manager ready to serve

Elgin leaders didn't need a search firm to tell them that the person to take the reins as city manager after the retirement of Femi Folarin was working right down the hall.

Sean Stegall, a 36-year-old Elgin resident and assistant city manager since 2000, said he knew Folarin was considering retirement and was honored council members chose him.

"I'm just very blessed to work in a great community," he said. "The community has given me more than I've given it."

One immediate challenge for Stegall is how to deal with the sagging economy. Stegall, who is charge of the city's budget, said he understands the nation changed last year and the country could be headed into a deep depression or enduring recession.

"The city of Elgin, the services it provides and our strategies and our plans are going to be dramatically affected. The challenge will be how do we maintain most of our momentum and preserving our capital in the short term," he said.

City leaders are looking to cut expenses, but Mayor Ed Schock said saving money on a search consultant was just a byproduct of Stegall's appointment to the city's top administrative post.

"We can't think of an instance of someone who would be a better qualified city manager," Schock said, noting Folarin mentored Stegall for the post. "(Stegall) is ready on Day 1 to hit the ground running."