For local governments, shifting demographics are more than just statistics—they are a call to rethink how a city functions. The City of Elgin, Illinois, found itself at a crossroads. With a history stretching back to 1854, this city has seen many transformations. Demographic changes have been the most profound. During the past century, Elgin’s Hispanic population has grown to more than fifty-percent.
While in-person Spanish translation at city facilities became more commonplace in recent years, the pandemic presented an opportunity to expand its digital multilingual capabilities. Static document translation was a first step, but staff realized that live and in-person translations would take its engagement to the next level. To bridge this gap without breaking the budget, the city turned to AI translation for government.
The Challenge: Urgency Meets Operational Bottlenecks
The move toward live language access wasn’t just a matter of policy; it was a matter of urgency.
“It was just becoming increasingly apparent that we couldn’t continue to potentially not include more than half of our population… it starts with being able to understand what’s going on in the city and that is during our council meetings.” — Aaron Cosentino, CTO of Elgin
The on-going efforts of staff coincided with national political tensions and local ICE raids, which left the Hispanic community feeling vulnerable and seeking to be heard. However, the city faced significant “bottlenecks” that often stall government innovation:
Immediate Need vs. Long-term Budget: The community needed to feel supported right away, but hiring full-time human interpreters or contractors meant navigating complex budget cycles and facing scrutiny over pension implications.
The Scalability Trap: While Spanish was the immediate priority, Elgin’s diversity includes growing Laotian and Indian communities. A human-only staffing model simply couldn’t scale to meet these diverse needs on demand.
To solve this, Elgin didn’t just look for a vendor; they looked for a way to build AI translation for government as a utility, as infrastructure.
The Solution: A Phased Approach to AI Translation for Government
Elgin’s partnership with spf.io followed a natural, phased evolution that allowed the city to test, learn and scale without massive disruption.
Phase 1: Bridging the “At Home” Barrier The journey began with digital accessibility—adding Spanish subtitles to YouTube livestreams so residents could follow proceedings from their homes.
Phase 2: Turning Meeting Rooms into Welcoming Spaces The city then moved the technology into the physical council chambers. By scanning a QR code, attendees could access live translations on their mobile devices. Cosentino suggested that providing Spanish text for meetings would make them more accessible for both remote viewers and in-person attendees. In a move that redefined “accessibility as hospitality,” the city also began providing complimentary headphones (USB-C, 3.5mm, and Lightning) for residents to keep, cleanly bypassing the sanitary issue of sterilizing shared equipment.
Phase 3: The Two-Way Revolution The final step was the most transformative: giving residents a voice. Through a sign-up sheet system, the AV producer knows when a Spanish speaker approaches the podium and simply toggles the input in real-time. When a resident speaks Spanish at the podium, their words are translated into English and projected onto screens behind them with only a several second delay for non-Spanish-speaking council members to read.
“They’re able to speak in Spanish and then in real time see the English translation for the non-Spanish speakers in the room” — Aaron Cosentino
The Results: Scaling Trust, Not Budgets
By treating AI translation for government as a core infrastructure, Elgin achieved a major policy objective with unprecedented efficiency:
Financial Prudence: “We are able to do that using your technology as opposed to adding another human being to the tax roll,” says Cosentino. “We’re able to increase that service offering without increasing the budget”.
Frictionless Adaptability: The system is built for the unexpected. When the city briefly considered adding French for a specific meeting, it was as simple as turning it on—no complex setups required.
Human-Centric AI: One of the biggest fears in government is that AI will replace people. Elgin proved otherwise. Cosentino explained that the technology is intended as a complementary tool that may reduce future hiring needs, not replace current employees.
Beyond the Project: A New Standard of Governance
For Elgin, the true measure of success isn’t just high usage—it’s availability. Cosentino describes a fundamental shift in how the city views translation: from a specialized project to permanent infrastructure.
“It’s an established practice that we do. It’s expected,” he explained, noting they couldn’t just remove the ability. “If one person uses it, that’s amazing. That makes it worth it. You’ve got to be there for that one person.”
Whether it’s the Laotian or another community next, the platform gives them a quick way to turn ideas into reality. To support this, the city is already looking at adjusting camera angles, screen placements, and physical arrangements to make the process even smoother for residents.
For city leaders considering a similar step, Cosentino’s takeaway is clear:
“I would say there’s really not a lot of risk involved, but a huge potential reward. The barrier to entry around what Spf.io does and the platform you offer is so low compared to some other ways to accomplish this. The infrastructure is going to be there for you and it’s going to be like turning a switch.”
Is Your City Ready to Speak Your Residents' Language?
Don’t let budget constraints or staffing limits hinder your city’s inclusivity goals. Follow Elgin’s lead and transform your accessibility into a scalable, digital infrastructure using AI translation for government.