The Charles Lino Hire: What the Emails Show

For weeks, Elgin residents were waiting to hear who would become the City’s permanent Finance Director.

Behind the scenes, the decision was much further along.

City emails show Charles Lino moving through the interview process in June, receiving an offer in July, signing it July 15, and becoming the subject of what City Manager Robert Eads later called a “big announcement.”

The public still had not been told his name.

Here is the timeline.

June 8: Lino moves forward

Email: June 8, 2026Subject: “Finance Director Candidates”

SGR recruiter Larry Gilley sent Robert Eads and Pamela Sanders information on three

Finance Director candidates.

Later that evening, Sanders wrote:

“I did talk with Robert after our call and he agrees with the plan to do teams interviews on the 19th and onsite in July.”

She then added:

“Please have Mr. Lino complete the questionnaire.”

By June 8, Lino was clearly an active candidate moving through Elgin’s interview process.

June 29: Elgin receives a media report on Lino

Email: June 29, 2026Subject: “Finance Director Media Reports”

SGR sent Eads and Sanders media reports on the candidates, including a document titled:

“Charles Lino - Media Report - 6.22.26”

That date matters because problems involving Lino’s position as Pecos City Manager were already public. On May 28, the Pecos City Council voted to demand Lino’s resignation over controversy involving a consulting contract. Lino did not resign.

We still need the actual media-report attachment before saying exactly what Elgin was told about that controversy.

But the email confirms that a media review of Lino existed and was sent to Elgin before he was offered the job.

July 10: The offer

Email: July 10, 2026Subject: “Charles Lino Offer”

Gilley emailed Eads and Sanders:

“I just spoke with Charles and he is very excited about the opportunity to join the Elgin team.”

Then:

“Attached is the offer letter.”

Eads responded:

“Outstanding. Looks correct to me.”

Sanders then wrote that the letter was being brought to Eads to sign.

At this point, this was no longer simply a candidate search. Elgin was making Lino an offer.  

July 13 and 14: Waiting for his answer

On July 13, Sanders asked:

“I don’t want to assume....but does this mean he said ‘YES’?”

Gilley answered:

“Not officially.”

Lino wanted to review the benefits and speak with his wife.

The next day, Gilley reported that Lino planned to return the signed offer that afternoon and appeared ready to accept.

Eads responded:

“YES!!!!”

He immediately asked about Lino’s turnaround time.

Sanders responded that she was “doing cartwheels” in her office.

The meaning of that exchange is pretty straightforward. City leadership was waiting for its selected candidate to accept the offer.

July 15: Signed offer received

Email: July 15, 2026Subject: “Signed Offer Letter”

The next morning, Gilley wrote:

“Attached is the signed offer letter from Charles Lino.”

He also told Eads and Sanders:

“We have started the background check process”

and said the City would need to complete a drug screen and determine Lino’s start date.

That is an important date.

By July 15, Lino had signed Elgin’s offer.

Then Pecos acted

Pecos placed Lino on administrative leave July 30 and terminated him August 6. Reporting on the termination traced the dispute back to the May 28 council action demanding his resignation.

That timing changes the question surrounding Elgin’s vetting. Elgin did not first consider Lino after Pecos fired him. He was already in Elgin’s hiring process in June.

He had been offered the job July 10. He signed the offer July 15.

The question is what Elgin knew about the Pecos situation while that process was happening, especially because a media report on Lino had already been provided to Eads and Sanders.

August 4: A resident asks publicly

At the August 4 City Council meeting, resident Jeannie Center asked for an update on the permanent Finance Director search.

The official minutes record her asking for:

“an update regarding the hiring status of a permanent Finance Director”

By then, Lino’s signed offer had been in City hands for almost three weeks.

The minutes do not show anyone identifying Lino or telling the public that a candidate had already signed an offer.

That is one of the clearest contrasts in the timeline.

July 15: signed offer received.

August 4: resident asks where the Finance Director search stands.

No Lino announcement appears in the official meeting record.

August 17: Eads says the search is “closed out”

Email: August 17, 2026Subject: “Please have Larry Gilley here for Charlie Lino Hire”

This email may be the clearest description of how Eads viewed the process internally.

Eads asked Sanders:

“Do we have all his files on this Finance Director search yet, since it is closed out?”

He wanted the complete file, including:

“the background, media history check, etc...reference checks”

And he explained why:

“to work on this big announcement.”

He added:

“This is gonna have to go very well.”

Internally, Eads was calling the search “closed out” and preparing an announcement involving Lino.

So what needs explaining?

The emails do not prove why the City waited to announce Lino.

There could have been legitimate reasons to wait while background checks, drug screening, start dates or other employment conditions were completed.

But the records raise reasonable questions.

When did the City consider Lino officially hired?

What remained outstanding after he signed the offer July 15?

What did the June media report say about the Pecos controversy?

What additional review happened after Pecos placed him on leave and later terminated him?

When were council members told who had been selected?

And why was a resident still asking publicly for the status of the Finance Director search weeks after Lino signed the offer?

Those are not accusations. They are questions created by the City’s own timeline.

The documents are the story.

June 8: Lino moves forward.

June 29: Elgin receives a media report on him.

July 10: Eads approves the offer.

July 15: Lino signs it.

August 4: the public is still asking who the Finance Director will be.

August 17: Eads says the search is “closed out” and begins preparing a “big announcement.”

When I upload these emails, readers will be able to check every date and every quote for themselves.

That is where this story should start.