Former Belleville city engineer who abruptly resigned is going to work for Mascoutah
Belleville’s former city engineer, who left abruptly this summer without giving a reason, has been hired for the same job in Mascoutah.
Mascoutah Mayor Pat McMahan said Monday that Sal Elkott will start work on Oct. 16. The city has been without an engineer since December, when Tom Quirk left for Fairview Heights.
McMahan said he feels “lucky” to have recruited someone as highly regarded as Elkott in the profession.
“He’s going to be a valuable asset, I’m sure,” said McMahan, who also is a local real-estate broker. “He’s very knowledgeable and experienced. We’re looking forward to that.”
Mascoutah City Council approved the mayor’s appointment of Elkott at its meeting on Oct. 2.
City engineers plan for projects related to infrastructure, such as streets and sidewalks, including budgeting and contracting. Elkott will earn $120,000 a year, the same as his Belleville salary.
For the past nine months, Mascoutah has been contracting with private firms for engineering services while trying to find a replacement for Quirk, according to the mayor.
“We were getting by, but it’s not the same as having your own engineer,” McMahan said.
Elkott, 62, of unincorporated Belleville, emailed his resignation to Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory on Aug. 25, effective immediately, after two years in the position. Again on Monday, he declined to publicly give a reason, saying he wanted to move forward.
Elkott has worked 35 years in engineering. He formerly served as Stookey Township highway commissioner and founded his own engineering firm in 2004. It’s now limited to forensic engineering, consulting and providing expert testimony in court cases.
Elkott said he didn’t seek out the Mascoutah job but agreed to meet when the mayor called.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Elkott said. “I really am. Mascoutah is a different animal (than Belleville). It’s a growing community. I have a better chance of making a bigger impact.”
Gregory asked Assistant City Engineer Scott Saeger to replace Elkott, and Belleville City Council approved his promotion on Sept. 18.
Saeger is a Belleville West High School graduate who worked as a project engineer for Alberici Constructors from 1996 to 2003, assistant city engineer for the village of Shiloh from 2003 to 2006 and city engineer for the village of Smithton from 2006 to 2023.
“Sal had a lot of projects set up that are already in the pipeline,” Saeger said last month. “So that’s kind of the focus right now, making sure that those projects keep moving forward.”
