The Office of Budget and Management
Proposed 2010 Budget
Dear Chicagoans,
Few, if any of us, remain unaffected by this turbulent, economic climate. The Chicago Park District, like most agencies, corporations, and countless families are faced with the challenge of stretching limited resources and doing more with less. As costs we continue to identify ways to minimize our expenditures. At the same time, we shoulder the great responsibility of investing in each of our communities by maintaining and enhancing the quality of available recreation opportunities.
This year, the Chicago Park District celebrated its 75th anniversary. Rather than the fanfare one might expect, we felt it was far more important to mark the occasion by taking measures to operate more efficiently, strengthening our financial standing and making difficult but important choices to ensure the longevity of our city's great park system. Among our accomplishments is the reduction in energy usage by 10% and natural gas expenditures by $4.4 million. In addition, we've locked in electricity rates, saving the District $1.4 million next year.
In 2010, we will continue to take steps to sustain our parks. Our efforts include the reduction of non-personnel budgets and the conversion of full-time to hourly positions, where possible. We will order additional furlough days all to reduce mounting operation costs. We are also decreasing our financial contributions to the museums by 10% and requiring our managers and vendors to make the same sacrifice. In addition, we will apply $8.9 million from our Reserve for Capital Improvement Fund to fill our deficit and offset the 7.7% increase in healthcare expenses and rising water and sewer costs.
Moving forward, we will continue to eliminate architectural barriers and enhance programs to include all participants regardless of age, physical or cognitive ability. For the first time, we will combine our existing sailing programs so that people with and without disabilities will have the opportunity to learn to sail in an inclusive program. As part of our efforts to implement environmentally responsible practices into Chicago Park District operations, we have transferred positions from various departments to establish our Office of Green Initiatives. The Chicago Park District's proposed 2010 Budget reflects the careful consideration of each park and the needs of the community it serves. I am pleased to announce that this budget was achieved without raising property taxes. We look forward to your input as we look forward to a promising new year.
Sincerely,
Timothy J. Mitchell
General Superintendent & CEO
Chicago Park District
2010 Budget Recommendations and Summary available for download below:
| Title | Modified | Size | |
| 2010 Budget Appropriations | 12/15/09 | 30,742 KB |  |
| 2010 Budget Summary | 12/16/09 | 21,106 KB | |
| Changes to 12.2.09 2010 Budget Recommendations | 12/09/09 | 614 KB | |
Additional Budget and Management information is available for download below:
| Title | Modified | Size | |
| 2008 Budget Appropriations | 10/21/09 | 4,632 KB | |
| 2008 Budget Summary | 12/11/07 | 1,887 KB | |
| 2009 Budget Appropriations | 12/23/08 | 1,722 KB | |
| 2009 Budget Summary | 12/22/08 | 17,247 KB | |
| 2010 Budget Calendar | 10/19/09 | 26 KB | |
last updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 3:31:42 PM