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Isaac Turner closed out his tenure as Elgin’s interim city manager with an emotional farewell speech last week, leaving behind tears on the council chamber desk.
Turner began his goodbye remarks Sept. 2 with a cracked voice, assuring council members and warning them that “Turners cry.” He dabbed his eyes with prepared tissues and paused to collect himself in the City Hall annex.
“To the mayor and members of the council, it has always been my philosophy that city management is a privilege and not a right,” Turner said. “Thank you for this privilege of serving you and this community for the past eight-plus months. I hope that I have shown you the same level — or even a higher level — of respect and professionalism that you have shown me, even when delivering information you may not have wanted to hear at the time.”
Turner thanked residents for their time and efforts to make Elgin a better place to live, work and play. He went on to praise city employees and the leadership team, noting he “probably owed them the most thanks of anybody” for their support.
“I hope during my tenure you have seen a positive demonstration of servanthood and compassion,” he said. “I want to make a difference. I want you to miss me when I’m gone. These were the two objectives I had when I made this assignment. I hope I have demonstrated to you that your decision to hire me as interim was correct.”
Turner outlined areas where he said the city made progress during his time at the helm, including finance and budget development, strategic planning, economic development, transparency in council agendas, communication improvements and efforts on employee compensation.
Mayor Theresa McShan, holding back tears herself, praised Turner’s leadership and guidance.
“Thank you for showing us what it is really like. Thank you for showing us the way things should be done, providing us with knowledge we did not have,” McShan said. “You have equipped this council to be a holistic council, and we can never thank you enough. We will be much better going forward because you have shown us the way. Yes, we are going to miss you like water — that is for sure.”
Council members applauded, and community leaders echoed the praise. Elgin Chamber of Commerce President Veronica Seever later told Turner he had made a noticeable impact.
“Even though I have not worked with you for a long time, or a lot, you have been a breath of fresh air to this community,” Seever said. “You’re leaving an impact on people you don’t even realize you made an impact on.”
The council closed the evening in executive session to discuss the vacant city manager position, candidate qualifications and the recruitment process. No action was taken following the closed-door meeting and an update has not yet been provided.
The search for a permanent city manager will continue after press time Sept. 9, when the council is expected to revisit the process during another executive session, according to the posted agenda.
