Politics

Ramirez-Rosa’s Contract as Chicago Park District CEO Extended Through 2029

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa received a vote of confidence Wednesday from the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, which unanimously agreed to extend his contract as the district’s CEO and general superintendent through the end of 2029.

The vote came after a nearly 30-minute closed session. Ramirez-Rosa’s contract had been set to expire April 30, 2027. Exact details of the contract terms were not immediately available. 

Board President Marlon Everett said the new end date was better aligned with the Park District’s current strategic plan. 

After a decade as 35th Ward alderperson, Ramirez-Rosa was appointed to the top job at the Park District in 2025 by Mayor Brandon Johnson. The announcement followed the resignation of Rosa Escareño, who shepherded the district in the aftermath of a tumultuous period marred by an abuse scandal within its lifeguard ranks.

While Ramirez-Rosa has continued to build on reforms ushered in under Escareño, his administration has also struggled to resolve some of the stickier issues that also stymied his predecessors.

The growth of encampments in the city’s parks remains a significant point of contention, with advocates on both sides of the issue arguing that the district isn’t doing enough to satisfy their demands. 

That conflict was on display during Wednesday’s board of commissioners meeting, accounting for nearly all of the public comment portion.

Representatives of the group Parks for All criticized Ramirez-Rosa for spending money on surveillance equipment in encampments rather than providing health insurance for park employees. Meanwhile, members of community organizations took the Park District to task for allowing the encampments to persist for years, at risk to neighbors’ safety.

A recent Chicago Tribune editorial provided fodder for attacks from both sides on Ramirez-Rosa’s management of encampments, with Parks for All taking several jabs at the general superintendent for the newspaper’s characterization of their organization as a “thorn” in his side. On the other hand, the Restore Gompers Park Coalition, based in the city’s Mayfair neighborhood, questioned the sincerity behind Ramirez-Rosa’s statement to the Tribune that “Long term, there should not be encampments in our parks.”

With the board’s action Wednesday, Ramirez-Rosa has now been given two more years to search for policy solutions.

Ramirez-Rosa reports to the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council.

If Johnson loses his bid for reelection, the city’s new mayor could move to replace him and install a new leader for the Park District.

Other Meeting News

Ramirez-Rosa provided commissioners with an update on enrollment in fall programs — up 8.3% over 2025 — as well as the results of the district’s first-ever participatory budgeting process. Nearly 12,000 ballots were cast to determine how the district should spend $500,000, with the category of “nature and beautification” projects emerging as the winner.

“What does that mean? That means that we’re going to be planting trees, we’re going to be creating flower beds, we’re going to be making natural landscaping improvements and we’re going to be developing nature-based play areas across the Chicago Park District,” he said, “because the voters, the people of the city, decided that’s what they want to see this money go towards.”

The Park District also began a 45-day public comment period on a proposed amendment that would officially change the district’s observance of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. 

Heather Cherone contributed to this report.

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]

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