The Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce will have to do more with less after the City Council cut its funding.

A purchase agreement for the chamber’s services received initial approval last week from the council at $275,000 for the year – down from last year’s $400,000.

But Assistant City Manager Rick Kozal said the city will continue to receive the same benefits, just at a reduced cost.

The chamber and its economic development programs work to retain and expand existing businesses, as well as recruit companies to come to Elgin, among other work.

“We’ll attempt to maintain the quality of services we did in the past,” said chamber President Carol Gieske. “It is a substantial cut to this organization.”

To make up the cost, the chamber has already made cuts to its staff, including reducing some officer posts to part-time positions, she said.

While the chamber has always worked to enhance the quality of Elgin’s workforce, Gieske said, the agreement between the city and the chamber started a formal partnership last year.

New this year is the chamber’s role in examining the possibility of a sister city relationship, possibly in China or Latin America. Earlier this year Mayor David Kaptain said Gov. Pat Quinn suggested Elgin pursue such a relationship to try to bring foreign businesses to the city.

Gieske said the chamber will explore Elgin’s sister city options, in part by looking at existing partnerships with other countries.

“Some natural relationships are already there,” she said. “This is yet another opportunity for us to reach out and determine if this is something we should be doing.”