Geneva alderpersons question $55K pricetag for lobbyist, bid to drop fails

The Geneva City Council prepared to approve its almost $143 million budget after a public hearing Monday, Feb. 10, when Fifth Ward Alderperson Robert Swanson suggested they save $55,000 by stripping out the cost of the Springfield lobbyist.

“I don’t see the need for that expense,” Swanson said. “I think with our facilities study and knowing that we may be going to referendum in the future and asking our taxpayers to pay more, I think we should be as tight with the budget as possible.”

Swanson said the lobbyist agreement always has bothered him.

“We do not have an agreement right now, so we’re working on a month-to-month basis,” Swanson said. “I think it would show the community that we’re willing to tighten our belts, too.”

Mayor Kevin Burns said the lobbyist has been working with the city “for some time now.”

“He has been, I believe, successful with respect to not only securing funds but re-securing funds representing our voice in Springfield on issues ranging from energy, transportation, housing LGDF (Local Government Distributive Fund) – you name it,” Burns said.

“Just this past year ... an additional $2 million was secured to assist in the East State Street Corridor reconstruction,” Burns said. “That $2 million was, for all practical purposes, wiped out by our friends at IDOT.”

Because of the lobbyist’s relationship with the professional staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation, the city secured that funding again, Burns said, preventing any further delays on the reconstruction project.

The city’s contract is with JLD Consulting Group LLC, records show.

City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said the lobbyist is paid through various city funds. If the issue is electric legislation, he’s paid out of the electric fund, Dawkins said.

“Depending upon what types of legislation he’s working on is how we charge the accounts,” Dawkins said.

First Ward Alderperson Anais Bowring said she did not favor removing the lobbyist from the budget.

“I think that we already have a very tight budget that is really being responsible with taxpayers' money and, respectfully, oftentimes by spending the money wisely, we save money in the long run,” Bowring said.

“Now is a time when we really do want to have representation in Springfield so that we make sure we don’t lose important opportunities on the whole host of issues that the mayor was referencing,” Bowring said.

Bowring said while the city is a member of the Metro West Council of Government, the lobbyist is someone who is only looking out for Geneva’s interest.

Third Ward Alderperson Dean Kilburg said he attended a Metro West Council of Government meeting last month and learned from the mayors of Batavia and Carpentersville that neither city employed a lobbyist.

That much is true for Carpentersville, according to its website.

Batavia has a lobbyist. City Administrator Laura Newman said in an email that Batavia uses Raucci and Sullivan Strategies LLC. Records show Batavia pays Raucci and Sullivan $60,000 a year.

“When I asked them do you retain a lobbyist, the mayors said no,” Kilburg said.

Batavia mayor Jeff Schielke said he didn’t recall the breakfast discussion with Kilburg at Metro West.

“I don’t even remember the conversation, quite frankly,” Schielke said.

Schielke said he likes to rely on Metro West for lobbying purposes because it represents a larger constituency.

“I’ve never met our lobbyist,” Kilburg said. “And based on what we’re paying the guy, it would be nice if he would attend at least one council meeting a year.”

Third Ward Aldlerperson Becky Hruby said she did not see evidence of what the lobbyist was doing for the city.

“I would appreciate some reports or updates on what initiatives the lobbyist is working on – where and when our voice is defined or determined,” Hruby said. “I think it’s misleading to make these blanket statements when I feel like we’re kept in the dark.”

The council voted 9-2 against a motion to remove the lobbyist expense from the budget with Swanson and Hruby casting the two lone yes votes and Burns also voting.

They all voted yes to pass the fiscal 2026 budget.