Elgin interim city manager Isaac Turner says he wants to "make a difference," defends nine-member council

Isaac Turner, Elgin’s interim city manager, told the city’s 78621 Live program that he intends “to make a difference” during his interim assignment and that the nine-member City Council provides broad local representation.

Turner, who said he has “been in city management roughly about 40 years,” described his role as supporting the council and responding to citizens’ needs. “I get to support everybody,” he said during the interview. He told hosts he is serving an interim assignment and that this is the fourth interim post he has taken.

The comments came during a conversation hosted by Stacy Osborne, acting public information officer for the City of Elgin, and Mayor Theresa McChimp. Turner said he has been with the city “since the Jan. 8,” and described two objectives he has told the council: “1, I wanna make a difference while I'm here. I don't wanna just keep the seat warm. I wanna make a difference. And 2, I want them to miss me when I'm gone.”

Why it matters: the city manager runs day-to-day operations for the city and implements council direction. Turner's stated priorities and the council’s structure bear on how Elgin sets strategy and delivers services as it grows.

Turner said he found the council helpful in understanding the community and praised staff who have long tenures with the city. “They have a real good pulse for the community,” he said, describing council members who were born in or have lived in the area for substantial periods.

Mayor Theresa McChimp defended Elgin’s nine-member council size, tracing that arrangement to a 1977 lawsuit she said addressed underrepresentation of people of color. “It originally happened in ’77 when there was a lawsuit because people of color were not being represented,” McChimp said. She said the city adopted two council members per ward to improve representation and that, in her view, the larger council has brought more ideas and has worked well for Elgin.

The podcast hosts and Turner also referred to a recent strategic planning exercise. Turner said the council produced six goals in that exercise; details of those goals were not described during the interview but were identified as a topic for a future episode.

Distinguishing discussion and decisions: the interview was conversational and did not include formal council action, motions, votes, or staff directives. Turner described his approach and objectives; Mayor McChimp provided historical context for the council’s composition. No formal decisions or assignments were made on the program.

Where to find more: the hosts said listeners can learn more about the city manager’s role and city council members on the city website, elgintexas.gov.