Forrest Claypool - Chicago Park District

Chicago Park District

In 1989, Claypool began working for Mayor Daley, serving for two years as his first Chief of Staff. In 1993, Daley asked Claypool to take on the task of overhauling the Chicago Park District after allegations of the hired truck scandal that made public while he was the mayor's chief of staff.

When Claypool became the CEO and Superintendent of the CPD, the District had a budget of $300 million as well as a payroll of 4,100 full-time employees and roughly an equal number of seasonal employees. Despite this extraordinarily large payroll, many basic services were not being performed. Under Claypool's tenure and Daley's command, many of the politically-appointed positions were eliminated and many employees were forced to reapply for their jobs. By 1996, the payroll had fallen to 3,000 full-time employees while services improved according to many groups that studied the parks.

When Claypool took over the District in 1991 it was also in financial disorder. For example, the District had outlays of $65 million for capital improvements but it had only $15 million in cash; it had also reached the maximum on its debt ceiling. Using the money saved from staff attrition and layoff, as well as from canceling projects he felt were wasteful, Claypool began to downsize and privatize some of the park district's services instead of performing them in-house.

"In 1993, Kemper Golf Management, Chicago, took over the operation of the district's six golf courses and two driving ranges. The contract guarantees the park district about $250,000 a year up front for capital improvements, and the remaining revenues are divided equally. In 1992, the district suffered a $530,000 operating deficit; in 1994, that was turned into a $550,000 profit." (Kelly 1995, American City and County) The CPD also began experimenting with the partial privatization of Soldier Field and its parking lots. In 1994, Soldier Field turned a profit for the first time in its history. Due to the success of the partial privatization, the Soldier Field Joint Venture started managing the stadium in late 1994.

Claypool left the CPD in 1996 to serve a second term as Chief of Staff to Daley. In 1998, he managed the mayor's successful reelection campaign, one in which he received over 75% of the vote and won majorities of the white, black, Hispanic, and Asian votes.