Robert Gilliam, Elgin’s longest-serving member of the City Council, will be absent from most, if not all city functions for the next two months as he attends to the needs of his family as a result of an illness.
Gilliam announced his pending absence on Dec. 21, as the City Council concluded a lengthy, trying budget process that required cuts, as well as new taxes and new fees to close a budget gap of as much as $13 million.
On Friday, he declined to detail the family illness, but said he expects it will be his sole focus for at least the next two months, perhaps longer. As the situation progresses, Gilliam said, he may reach a point where he can break away from his family from time to time. But he made it clear that his family is his priority.
First elected in 1973, Gilliam is the quiet one on the council, often letting others speak their piece during formal meetings unless he has something to share that has not been said. His 38 years in office have gained him a breadth and depth of knowledge of municipal government that is well-respected among his peers. Fellow council members and even city staffers often will allude to his tenure as the council’s senior member when asking his opinion on an issue.
Gilliam is a former educator and administrator with School District U-46.
