Carlos Ramirez-Rosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
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Ramirez-Rosa in 2017
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| General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District | |
| Assumed office April 1, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Rosa Escareño |
| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 35th ward |
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| In office May 18, 2015 – April 1, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Rey Colón |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Quezada |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 18, 1989 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BA) |
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (born February 18, 1989) is an American politician. He is currently the General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District. Before this, he served as an Alderperson for Chicago's 35th Ward from May 2015 until April 2025.
Ramirez-Rosa was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 2015. He was one of the youngest members ever elected at age 26. He was re-elected two more times, in 2019 and 2023. He describes himself as a democratic socialist and is part of the Democratic Socialists of America. He also belongs to the Chicago City Council's Progressive Reform Caucus.
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Early Life and Education
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 18, 1989. He went to Chicago Public Schools and graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. There, he was the president of his senior class.
He then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. While in college, he was an elected member of the Illinois Student Senate. He supported funding for programs for women and LGBT students. He also backed policies for green energy on campus and fair treatment for university employees. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 2011.
Early Career and Activism
After college, Ramirez-Rosa worked for Congressman Luis Gutiérrez. He helped people in the community with their problems. Later, he worked with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. He helped families who were new to the country.
In 2014, Ramirez-Rosa was part of a protest called "Not One More." This campaign asked President Barack Obama to stop deportations. Ramirez-Rosa said he protested because it was unfair to separate families.
Before becoming an alderman, he was also an elected community representative. He served on the Avondale-Logandale Local School Council. His family has roots in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Serving on the Chicago City Council
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Carlos Ramirez-Rosa was first elected as the alderman for the 35th ward on February 24, 2015. He won with 67% of the votes. He easily won re-election in 2019 and 2023.
He was one of the youngest aldermen in Chicago's history. He was also one of the city's first two openly LGBT Latino council members. He is a member of several groups within the City Council. These include the Progressive Reform Caucus, Latino Caucus, and the LGBT Caucus. He also helped start the council's Democratic Socialist Caucus.
City Budget and Taxes
In 2015, Ramirez-Rosa did not support Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to raise property taxes. He believed the city should use other funds first. He voted against the mayor's budget in 2016.
After the tax increase passed, Ramirez-Rosa suggested a plan to give money back to homeowners. He worked with Mayor Emanuel to create a $21 million property tax rebate program. This program helped homeowners who were struggling.
In 2019, Ramirez-Rosa voted against Mayor Lori Lightfoot's first budget. He and other socialist aldermen felt it relied too much on property taxes. They believed it was hard on working families.
Immigration Policy
In August 2015, Ramirez-Rosa helped start the Chicago Immigration Policy Working Group. This group worked to help immigrants in Chicago. They successfully pushed for free or low-cost legal help for people facing deportation. They also helped expand language access and create a municipal ID.
In 2021, Ramirez-Rosa helped remove special rules from Chicago's sanctuary city ordinance. This made sure the Chicago Police Department would not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in any case. He worked with Mayor Lori Lightfoot on this important change.
Housing and Development
Ramirez-Rosa has worked on housing issues in his ward. He has supported building affordable housing. For example, he supported a 100-unit affordable apartment building near the Logan Square Blue Line station. He also supported the "Oso Apartments" in Albany Park, which has 48 affordable units.
After a fire destroyed a public library, he supported rebuilding it with affordable housing above it. He has also pushed for rent control to help keep housing affordable. He supported rules to help preserve existing affordable housing. In 2020, he supported allowing accessory dwelling units (like small backyard homes) in his ward.
He has also supported efforts to protect historic buildings. This includes helping to restore Minnekirken in Logan Square. In 2018, he supported creating the First Nations Garden. This garden was made by American Indian youth. It is a place to connect with nature and heal.
Community Involvement
Ramirez-Rosa believes in participatory democracy. This means people should have a say in decisions that affect their lives. He has said that working people should have power and govern themselves.
His office supports "people-power initiatives." These programs help people make decisions together. One program is "community-driven zoning and development." This lets local residents help plan new buildings. Another is participatory budgeting, where residents decide how to spend money on neighborhood improvements. He also supports a "community defense committee" to help protect immigrants.
Police Reform Efforts
In 2016, Ramirez-Rosa worked to create the Community Police Accountability Council (CPAC). This plan aimed to give civilians more control over the Chicago Police Department. In 2021, he helped combine CPAC with another plan. The new plan, called Empowering Communities for Public Safety, passed. This led to the election of 66 civilians in 2023 to serve as police district councilors.
In 2017, Ramirez-Rosa was the only City Council member to support the No Cop Academy campaign. This group wanted the city to spend money on education and social services instead of a new police academy. He argued that the police department had enough money and needed more accountability.
Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ramirez-Rosa used his office to help his community. He supported neighborhood mutual aid networks. These groups helped people most affected by the pandemic. His office sent out a newsletter with information on unemployment and other resources. He also worked to expand rental assistance for undocumented Chicagoans.
Workers' Rights
Ramirez-Rosa has strongly supported workers' rights. He has pushed for raising Chicago's minimum wage to a living wage. He supported the Fair Workweek ordinance, which helps hourly workers have more stable schedules. He also worked to create a city office to protect Chicago workers.
In 2018, he was arrested at a Fight for $15 protest. This protest was outside a McDonald's headquarters. Workers were asking for a $15 minimum wage and a union.
In 2017, Ramirez-Rosa helped name a street "Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Way." This honored a famous labor organizer and union founder. He said that Lucy Parsons taught people to fight for their rights.
LGBT Rights
In 2016, Ramirez-Rosa sponsored a successful measure to protect transgender people's right to use the public bathroom of their choice. He spoke about the importance of equality and rejecting discrimination.
Council Leadership and Recent Events
Ramirez-Rosa has held several leadership roles in the City Council. He was the Chair of the Democratic Socialist Caucus. From May to November 2023, he served as Mayor Brandon Johnson's Floor Leader. He also chaired the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards.
As Floor Leader, he helped get votes for the mayor's plans. These included raising the minimum wage for tipped workers and increasing paid leave days. He also worked to put a question on the ballot about raising a tax on expensive properties to help with homelessness.
In November 2023, there was a special meeting about Chicago's sanctuary city status. Ramirez-Rosa worked to prevent the meeting from moving forward. There was an incident where another alderman claimed Ramirez-Rosa blocked her from entering the council chambers. Video footage later showed that while he did touch and stand in her path, he did not physically assault her. Ramirez-Rosa resigned from his leadership roles. He later apologized to the alderman, and she accepted his apology.
Chicago Park District Superintendency
In February 2025, Mayor Johnson announced that Carlos Ramirez-Rosa would become the General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District. This happened after the previous superintendent, Rosa Escareño, announced her retirement. The Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners confirmed his appointment on the same day. His contract began on April 1, 2025, and will last until April 30, 2027. After his appointment, Cook County Commissioner Anthony Joel Quezada was nominated to take his place as the 35th Ward Alderman.
Images for kids
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Ramirez-Rosa in 2017
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Ramirez-Rosa campaigning in 2015
