News Story

Today, the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners received the District’s proposed 2026 budget. The $637.6 million spending plan which closes a projected $30 million gap deficit by focusing on three principles: finding efficiencies, generating sustainable new revenue, and investing in one-time resources responsibly. The 2026 budget makes targeted investments that advance the District’s Strategic Plan’s six goals and invest in youth and teens, accessibility and special recreation, sustainability, public safety and community wellbeing.

Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa presented the 2026 budget recommendations to the Board. The $637.6 million budget is a fiscally responsible plan that reflects a 6.5% increase from the previous year to address. Highlights of the proposed budget include targeted use of the $46 million anticipated TIF surplus to invest in the District’s pension and capital funds, including a $5 million capital investment to create Chicago Grows Together, a new fund that directs resources to deferred maintenance and equitable infrastructure solutions for parks on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

The proposed budget also invests $1.75 million in the Special Recreation Fund to expand adaptive sports, inclusion support, and ADA accessibility improvements including an elevator modernization. Moreover, the 2026 expands Young Cultural Stewards Teen programming, Lifeguard Explorers Training Program, allocates $250 thousand to replace lost Night Out in the Parks grant funding.  The budget also increases staffing by nearly 15 full-time equivalent positions, supports technological and sustainability upgrades, and strengthens partnerships with sister agencies to increase public safety and community wellness.

Residents can view the Chicago Park District’s 2026 budget recommendations online at the Annual Budget Process page. Park District Board of Commissioners will vote on the 2026 budget recommendations during its regular monthly meeting on December 10th.  

“The Chicago Park District’s 2026 budget supports our commitment to provide every Chicagoan with affordable programs, and access to exceptional experiences in safe, beautiful, and welcoming public spaces, while protecting the Park District’s fiscal health and ensuring we can continue serving the millions of Chicagoans who depend on our parks every day,” said General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. “This budget closes that $30 million deficit without layoffs, service cuts, or one-time fixes by focusing on three principles: finding efficiencies, generating sustainable new revenue, and investing one-time resources responsibly. The 2026 budget does not merely preserve what we have; it builds upon it, making targeted investments in special recreation, teens, sustainability, public safety, pension and capital that advance our Strategic Plan’s six goals: Exceptional Experiences, Community Wellbeing, Parks for All, A Greener City, Effective Operations, and Leading Employer.”

During the regular monthly meeting which followed the budget presentation, the Board authorized the District to enter into an agreement with Booth Hansen Ltd. to design and construction administrative services the new fieldhouse for Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine.  The new fieldhouse will replace the existing deteriorated structure that dates back to the early 1900’s and no longer meets the needs of the West Englewood community. The fieldhouse design shall include a gymnasium, a dedicated boxing gym, fitness room, dance room, teen room and clubroom as well as support facilities including restrooms, storage, offices and utility rooms. Partial funding for the construction of the new Ogden Park fieldhouse is earmarked in the proposed 2026 budget and underscores the District’s commitment to prioritizing historically disinvested communities.

The Ogden Park fieldhouse design contract amount is not to exceed $1,649,343. The MBE/WBE participation for this contract is 32.47% MBE and 9.38% WBE participation, exceeding the Park District’s compliance goals.
 

The Board of Commissioners voted to approve updates to the rules for public participation in its monthly meetings. To promote equity in access and promote a diverse range of park related topics, the updated rules s may not register to speak at two consecutive meetings. The limitation is waived if an individual wishes to address a voting item listed on the agenda for the upcoming meeting. Additionally, the limitation is waived if fewer than the allotted number of speakers register for a meeting. The Office of the Board Secretary will notify individuals who sign up but are ineligible to speak at an upcoming meeting.

In addition, registered speakers who wish to submit printed documents to the Board must do so at least 30 minutes before the Board meeting begins. Hardcopy materials should be submitted in the form of 10 copies with the speaker’s first and last name clearly printed on the top right-hand corner of the document’s front page. Other rules changes include updates to the Board meeting schedule and location. The updated rules for board meeting participation can be found on the Park District’s website.

The Board approved changes to Chapter I to codify the Park District’s long-standing practice of requiring economic disclosure statements from parties seeking approval by the Board, the General Superintendent, and the Director of Purchasing pursuant to various chapters of the Code. The amendments align with the economic disclosure requirements set forth in the City of Chicago’s Municipal Code. vendors that wish to do business with both the Park District and the City of Chicago will have a more streamlined application process. Additionally, proposed changes include updates to Chapter III of the District’s Code to codify the existing practice that prohibits any Park District officer or employee from accepting Honoraria for participating in speaking engagements, lectures or discussion forums. These Code changes are effective immediately and are available to view online.

Following a 45-day public comment period initiated in September, the Board voted to officially rename Park #601, the Dunning Read Natural Area. The support of Alderman Nicholas Sposato; Illinois House Representative Lindsey LaPointe and numerous community members and stakeholders. The 20-acre park, located in the Dunning community in northwest Chicago features diverse native areas including prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. The natural area is a popular location for birding and supports a vibrant community of native plants.

The Park District Office of Inspector General delivered a presentation to the Board on the District’s Ineligible for Rehire (IFR) designation. The OIG brought forth recent updates to that provide clarity on the designation and processes. Changes include language that explicitly defines the conduct and situations that result in an IFR designation; the introduction of a formal process to notify former employees at the time of separation from the District and a formal appeal process for individuals who wish to have their IFR designation removed.

The Park District has implemented procedural changes to review existing IFR designations prior to the updated policy. The Park District Human Resources is proactively sending former employees on the IFR list the appeal form if it is unclear if the individual would have received the designation under the updated policy. The District also has removed IFR designations for seasonal employees who received the designation only as a result of a poor performance evaluation, but maintained the designation for seasonal employees who otherwise would have received the designation under the 2025 Policy.

“The District strives to be a leading employers as outlined in our Strategic Plan,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. “In an effort to align with this goal and ensure the District’s employment opportunities are available to all qualified and interested candidates, we performed the audit to understand the existing ineligible for rehire designations. We found that 80% of the designations among seasonal employees did not meet the updated standards thus removing those IFR designations. Those residents are now eligible for seek employment and contribute to the livelihood of their families, the District and the communities we serve.”

The Board also heard a presentation on the Park District’s partnership with Bears Care, the Chicago Bears 501(c)(3). The not-for-profit supports the long-standing Junior Bears and Inner-City Flag Football programs offered in parks throughout the city. There are more than 2000 boys and girls, ranging in age from 8 to 17 participating in these programs annually. In addition to learning the game of football, athletes gain confidence and learn valuable lessons in discipline, resilience, teamwork and the importance of healthy living. Junior Bears recently celebrated their 76th Mum Bowl, the championship game played at Soldier Field. During the presentation, Board and Park District celebrated the Loyola Park Dolphins which proclaimed victory over the Kelvyn Park Hurricanes. Witness the positive impact the Park District and Bears Care partnership has on the players, families, coaches and staff in For the Love of the Game.

Other agenda items include the approval of one-year extensions on contracts with Clauss Brothers for garden maintenance services at Osaka Garden in Jackson Park and Stone Group Inc. for District-wide power rodding and sewer cleaning services. The Board also authorized the District to participate in the City of Chicago’s contract with Enterprise Fleet Management for leasing cars and light duty trucks.  

The Park District also selected Jim Harney, Senior Project Manager as delegate and Rebecca Brandtman, Deputy Director of Program as alternate delegate for the Illinois Association of Park Districts.