Elmhurst will have a new person running day-to-day city operations when Kent Johnson steps into the acting city manager role on Monday, August 3. The City Council voted Monday, July 20, to approve the appointment, putting a familiar city hall veteran in charge as Elmhurst manages a $48 million police station rebuild and a budget gap that city staff have projected will grow without further cuts.

Johnson served as Elmhurst's city engineer before the council appointed him assistant city manager on January 16, 2024, following the retirement of former Assistant City Manager Mike Kopp, according to city records.

Mayor Scott Levin recommended Johnson's appointment in a memo to the council ahead of the July 20 meeting. The move follows City Manager Jim Grabowski's announcement in late February that he would retire after 15 years leading Elmhurst's government. Grabowski did not give an exact departure date at the time, and the city has not publicly announced one since.

In a February news release announcing the retirement, Levin called Grabowski an "exceptional city manager" and praised his record, which included the revitalization of downtown Elmhurst and $45 million in stormwater and sanitary sewer improvements.

Johnson inherits a full plate. The council approved a contract with Leopardo Construction Inc. on May 18 for reconstruction of the police station on First Street. The project calls for demolishing the aging building this winter and replacing it with a two-story, 54,000-square-foot facility with a full basement, at a cost of $48 million, according to city planning documents. A temporary station is already operating at 180 West Park Avenue.

On the budget side, aldermen last fall voted to cut $3.6 million in spending and raise property taxes by $1 million after city staff told them revenues were not keeping pace with costs. Staff projected the gap would widen without additional reductions.

The council held a closed executive session before the July 20 vote to discuss personnel matters, as permitted under Illinois' Open Meetings Act. The act allows aldermen to discuss specific candidates and conduct interviews behind closed doors, but requires that discussions about the hiring process itself remain public.

As of July 17, Mayor Levin had not responded to a media inquiry about the timeline for the permanent city manager search. No search firm, application deadline, or next milestone has been publicly announced.