Lake Metroparks maintains a genuine commitment to the community.
To conserve and preserve the natural resources of Lake County while providing a variety of safe, affordable and enjoyable educational and recreational programs and activities that enhance the quality of life in Lake County now and for the generations to follow.
The Lake County Probate Court Judge, Mark J. Bartolotta, appoints a three-member board of citizens to govern Lake Metroparks. Lake Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners Gretchen Skok DiSanto, Frank J. Polivka and John C. Redmond serve, without compensation, for three-year alternating terms. In March of each year, the Board of Park Commissioners appoints an Executive Director who serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the park district. The current Executive Director is Paul Palagyi.
Executive Director Paul Palagyi explains park district priorities as, “First and foremost we will continue to provide the citizens of Lake County and the broader region with the clean, safe and outstanding parks and outdoor education programming that they have come to expect from their Lake Metroparks. Staff are looking for new ways and creating new opportunities for people to enjoy their parks.”
Click here for administrative directory.
Portions of two state designated wild and scenic rivers — and many tributaries — flow through and are protected by Lake Metroparks. In addition to protecting watersheds and open space, Lake Metroparks annually provides more than four million visitors with countless recreational and educational experiences at diverse facilities including an agriculturally-themed park, a nature center, a state-of-the-art education and wildlife rehabilitation center, two golf courses, more than 60 miles of trails including a 4.8-mile paved bike/hike trail, six parks on Lake Erie’s shoreline and a cross-country ski center.
Lake Metroparks will work to protect visitors, staff and partners’ personal data.
The 2025 budget was presented to the Board of Park Commissioners on November 20, 2024 and was approved on December 18, 2024.
Click here to view Lake Metroparks’ 2025 Budget Request Summary
Click here to view Lake Metroparks’ 2025 Budget Request Detail
This is the 34th Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for Lake Metroparks. This report conforms to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and provides full and complete disclosure of the financial position and operations of the park district for the year ended December 31, 2023. Responsibility for both the accuracy of the data and the completeness and fairness of the presentation, including all disclosures, rests with the park district’s management. To the best of our knowledge and beliefs, the enclosed data are accurate in all material respects and are reported in a manner designed to present fairly the financial position of the entity as a whole and results of operations of the various funds of the park district. All disclosures necessary to enable the reader to gain an understanding of the park district’s financial activities have been included.
Click here to view Lake Metroparks 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
Lake Metroparks was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Click here to view certificate.
A recent financial audit of Lake Metroparks by Auditor of State Keith Faber’s office has returned a clean audit report. Lake Metroparks’ excellent record keeping garnered it the Auditor of State Award with Distinction.
Eligible entities that receive the award meet the following criteria of a “clean” audit report: