After an in-depth study of the three possible forms of government for Elgin, the League of Women Voters of Elgin reached the conclusion that council manager form of government has served Elgin well and should not be abandoned. All three forms available to Elgin started as reform types of government.
The council-manager form has been representative, accountable, and responsible to all citizens. The voters elect policymakers who can focus their energies on making policy and can employ a professional manager to administer those policies. This form of government takes advantage of the greater number of qualified candidates since it does not require a complete sacrifice of current jobs held by office holders.
Strong mayor form of government is untested and lacks sufficient checks on the mayor during his four-year term. It increases the possibility of political patronage with unqualified personnel holding key positions in city government.
The commission form appears unworkable in Elgin and is being dropped by many cities where it is still being used. The most popular form of government in cities of Elgin’s size is council-manager.