Chicago Park District’s 2025 Budget Recommendations Set a Solid Path for the Future of Parks Building a Resilient Community Anchor

A forward-looking responsible budget shows fiscal soundness without imposing new taxes; and makes critical investments in its workforce, city youth, community programs, wellness, and sustainability efforts, and neighborhood infrastructure

CHICAGO- The Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Rosa Escareño presents the $598.5 million 2025 Budget Recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. The 2025 financial plan is a responsible, balanced budget that does not impose any new taxes on Chicagoans. It supports Chicago residents by maintaining park programs affordable and accessible, and invests in its workforce to strengthen the pipeline for youth employment necessary to bolster robust, quality programming. The spending plan also reinforces the Park's role as wellness and environmental stewards while funding essential neighborhood infrastructure projects.

The 2025 Budget priorities are guided by the District's newly announced Strategic Plan, which offers a new mission, vision and core values informed Chicago residents during an extensive, amplified community engagement process.

Escareño presents the 2025 Budget at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, November 20 at 9:30 a.m. at the Chicago Park District Administration Building/Park No. 596, located at 4830 S. Western Avenue. The Budget Recommendations are available for viewing on the Chicago Park District's website.

"As I submit a balanced 2025 budget, I am proud to invest in a solid foundation for our park system that will have a lasting impact on the lives of our residents for many years," said Chicago Park District General Superintendent & CEO Rosa Escareño. "This spending plan prioritizes the younger generation, builds a healthier city that connects communities and supports our families making Chicago's parks more resilient."

"From investments that improve wages and benefits for our workforce to much-needed neighborhood infrastructure projects, the 2025 financial plan takes an equitable approach and keeps costs reasonable," added Escareño. "We are budgeting within our means and not imposing new taxes, while targeting areas of critical need identified by park users and community stakeholders during our comprehensive community engagement process."

Additional key investments in the District's 2025 Budget include the following:

Building Our Future: The 2025 Budget will make strategic investments in our youth to continue to reinforce pipelines to jobs and future careers at the Park District as well as create a sustainable, reliable source of seasonal employees to build exceptional experiences for all in our parks. As Chicago's largest summer employer of youth, the Chicago Park District remains committed to ensuring that job opportunities for our young people are accessible and attractive. In the last two years, over 400 seasonal employees have transitioned from summer positions to year-round employment opportunities at the Park District.

This year, our Budget further supports the retention of over 2,500 youth hires by investing $1.7 million in funding positions and stipends that were previously backed by one-time grants. In 2025, the Chicago Park District will fund employment opportunities for 300 Recreation Leaders, and 20 Junior Laborers, previously covered by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant. In addition, our operational funds will invest in innovative stipend-based job training opportunities for youth, including supporting over 200 Lifeguard Training Program participants, between the ages of 15 and 22, to learn the swim-skills necessary to become a lifeguard, and job readiness programs for over 1,000 Recreation Leaders in Training, between the ages of 13 and 15, prepare for future positions that are critical to our Summer Day Camp experience. These initiatives also target and engage youth in constructive activities during their most formative years.

Furthermore, this Budget will provide stipends to nearly 150 youth to engage in enriching arts and cultural programming citywide through the Young Cultural Stewards program, which includes Teens Reimagining Art, Community, and Environment (TRACE) initiative, *small is all*, and ArtSeed offerings.

Investment in our Workforce: This financial plan also underscores the importance of a strong workforce by allocating nearly 50 percent or $300 million of the Budget to our employees in wages, benefits and compensation. This year, we will increase the number of full-time employees by 34.9 to broaden our programming offerings and support sustainability efforts citywide.

Strengthening Programs and Experiences: In 2025, we will conduct a community needs assessment to better reflect the interests of the residents we serve, and equitably invest in areas of demand. In response to feedback from our robust community engagement process, we are increasing the number of field-trips to museums and college tours to offer our youth even more access to quality, educational experiences during the summer. In addition, we are adding beginner level gymnastics at a new South Side location in Palmer Park to expand opportunities for access to the sought-out sport. To grow our nature-based educational programs, we will retain Harvest Garden and RiverLab positions, previously supported by grant funds. With new pickleball experiences, and the return of program favorites like dances and luncheons, seniors will have access to more programming opportunities in our parks. The District will continue to evaluate adult and senior programs to meet the needs of all age groups as part of an overall programmatic assessment.

Focusing on Sustainability and Resilience: This Budget provides for new in-house "green jobs" focused on continuing our tree resiliency efforts within a 5-year cycle. In response to the growing need to update water features and enhance water conservation, the District will dedicate additional resources to our in-house team to expedite full remediation of lead service lines within the next 5-years. Nearly 100 lead service lines were replaced in 2024.

Next year, the District will continue to support valuable projects that will ensure the sustainability of the park system well into the future, including the completion of the construction project that will bring 200 additional pickleball courts to city parks by the end of 2025. This Budget further supports the ongoing installation of new, free public Wi-Fi in a total of 60 parks in need of broadband infrastructure, the updating of 100 year-old electrical infrastructure to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs, and the elimination of architectural barriers at 100 park field houses by investing in ADA capital improvements.

Community Wellness: In 2024, the District firmed up connectivity between sustainable infrastructure and community health with the announcement of the District's Health and Wellness Pillars that focus on promoting community wellbeing, supporting active living and ensuring a healthy food environment. This year's Budget expands on these efforts by creating Healthy HUBS and working with a committee of health experts and supporters to develop a wellness dashboard that will better direct resources to parks in communities with larger health disparities.

Parallel to these efforts, the District is piloting two new systems for outdoor public collection of recyclable materials in parks with high contamination and relaunching the Summer Day Camp lunch waste composting pilot that was delayed by the onset of the pandemic. In 2025, the District will also launch a recycling campaign encouraging the public to properly dispose reusable materials in park bins.

Improvement in Connectivity: Other 2025 budget highlights include investments in improving connectivity with our park users by launching our newly redesigned District's website that is mobile-friendly and features elevated content to achieve an enhanced user experience.

Responsible fiscal planning: In 2025, we are relying on steady revenues to balance the rising operating expenses. The Chicago Park District is ramping-up programming and will propose an increase to day camp and non-program fees to help support vital park operations into the future, while maintaining our reliance on the prior year fund balance at zero. The Budget includes a modest fee increase to Summer Day Camp for higher median income households. These minimal fees continue to be at or well below pre-pandemic amounts but will help subsidize increases in operational program costs.

Harbor fees will increase by 2% based on the area market and growing expense and will generate an anticipated $740 thousand in revenue for the District. Parking rates will increase by $2 and will bring in an additional $1.3 million in revenue. Additionally, a 5% increase for all permitted park events, including large events not currently committed to a multi-year contract will generate an additional $1.7 million in revenue for the Chicago's parks. To support an upsurge in the operational costs of our six golf courses and three driving ranges, the District will increase green fees by $1 in 2025 at three of our busiest locations, bringing in an additional $330 thousand in revenue for the District. Costs will remain unchanged at Columbus, Marquette and South Shore golfing facilities, and Marquette and Jackson Driving Ranges.

Last year, we announced the launch of the Park Enhancement Fund, an innovative use of funds to benefit neighborhood parks that host large, multi-day events. Parks hosting multi-day events with 3,000 or more guests would receive 10 percent in direct re-investment of permit fees collected from each event in addition to general capital dollars and park restoration fees. In its first year, we are excited to announce that this fund is expected to generate nearly half a million dollars to support local park improvement projects.

The Chicago Park District's 2025 budget recommendations can be viewed online at www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/annual-budget-process.