Sean Stegall to replace Femi Folarin
City Manager Femi Folarin announced his retirement on Wednesday. Sean Stegall will take over his post effective July 1st.
“I’m honored,†said Stegall, who has served as Elgin’s Assistant City Manager for more than eight years. “I’ve learned a tremendous amount from Femi – specifically grace under pressure.â€
It’s expected that Stegall will be formally appointed at the next City Council meeting on March 18.
“Sean will be able to hit the ground running,†said Schock. “The Council and I believe we have an outstanding candidate right here (in Elgin) that other communities are interested in interviewing. Sean has done an outstanding job as the assistant city manager and we believe that he will be able to take us to the next level.â€
Good news or bad news? Have your say.
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Good news? We’ll have to see. SS will probably bring more intelligence and energy to the position than FF who in fairness never seemed really to want the job and had to clean up the Joyce Parker and Dave Dorgan messes while piloting a sinking ship. My experiences with SS have been positive, and he has the respect of people whose opinion I value.
However, if that energy and intelligence only further the interests of those local leaders who are aligned with the criminal poverty destroying the city we’ll all be worse off. I hope SS doesn’t display the ethical tin ear that he apparently betrayed in the Powers scandal. That episode alone makes it hard to greet this news with much enthusiasm.
I’ve only seen Sean in action once, making his pitch for a housing development in the old Channing YMCA site in the Gifford Park neighborhood. The citizens wanted a park there, the planning commission voted against the development, and the Gifford park are master plan strongly recommnended more open space. His mis-representation of the master plan and advocacy for the project was upsetting.
I believe this land still sits vacant.
This may not have been his fault though. I believe the city staff are directed to follow the instructions of the city council. If the mayor said “Sell the development at the city council meeting”, then Sean was only doing his job.
Maybe Sean will work extra hard since the city gave him one of the home improvement grants for his own home in 2007.
Nothing illegal about it; he followed the application process and his project was accepted.
It still stinks, but it was legal.
Everyone says how nice he is. Maybe we don’t need nice, we need someone who will say NO.
I think Sean Stegall is energetic and hardworking. The job of a city manager is to work under the direction of the city council so we can’t expect him to fight the council.
However, I think the position of city manager is also charged with the responsibility of educating the council on issues where our part-time councilmen are not experts. In other words, the city manager also plays an advisory role.
And if they fail to give good advice or give bad advice then they are not good city managers.
So the question is: Has Sean Stegall, in his capacity as the deputy manager and budget manager, given the city council good advice with regard to issues like the Chicago Bandits, the recreation center(s), a sports stadium, a performance hall, golf courses, TIF districts, the Channing project that Todd mentioned, and the myriad other issues that have come before the council in recent years?
This is a travesty and demonstrates the laziness and low level of respect the current city council has to Elgin residents. This is the council’s ONLY employee and they couldn’t even place a help wanted ad?? We deserve better and should have been asked by the council what we residents of Elgin would like to see in a City Manager – after all this is a Council-Manager form of government. SS has been in charge of the budget for the last several years and look at the financial mess we’re in right now. I’ve seen his wasteful and cavalier approach to spending and Elgin residents should be very concerned. He’s smart alright and is the embodiment of “figures lie, and liars figure.†Sorry to be so harsh because he can be a nice guy, but nice or not, he’s shady. Proceed with caution.
I have to agree witht the former city employee. SS can be a nice guy on a social level, but beware. He’s been caught in lies in his past. And it seems he likes to play the old coconut game with the budget…find where I hid the money…I’m still reeling about 302 west chicago street. Did anybody see they paid 225,000 bucks for that terd! Don’t get me wrong, the house has historic value. But it’s a wreck inside and out. that 225,000 is going to be a down payment. The tax payers are easily going to spend another 200,000 to get it deconverted and up to code. Not to mention things like strucural integrity. Basically, they have someone in the city managers office decide to buy up something like this and it gets done sight unseen. That’s right the dumb woman doesn’t even go into the house to inspect it. Get out Sean’s check book and write a check. This new administration has a potentially devastating impact. I can’t wait…
Yeah, I see they paid $225,000 for that “terd”.
Clearly overpaid. And certainly at least another $100,000 to decovert it to a single family dwelling. 302 W, Chicago St. is quite a long way from 222 Locust! Certainly not within sight or mind of the residents at 222 Locust.
The only question I have is WHO did the City overpay to. Smells bad!
Expect a return of open prositution and open drug dealing eminating from the Highland House that so infested that neighborhood of Union, Pennslvania, and Crighton streets prior to ROPE Officer residence on Union.
I wonder if ROPE officers know they have to report as income the fair market rent value they receive. That would be north of $30,000. Tax liability near $10,000! Might not want to live there!