Two Highland Park Park District commissioners gave in to public pressure this week by resigning in the wake of an outcry over huge bonuses awarded employees, officials said Wednesday.

Commissioner Stacy Weiss tendered her resignation on Wednesday, while Nancy Rosenbaum handed in her formal letter late Tuesday evening, said park district Executive Director Liza McElroy

Rosenbaum felt residents hadn't received the answers they deserved, which prompted her resignation, she said in an interview Wednesday evening.

"That's what did it for me," Rosenbaum said. "Not answering the questions upfront.”

The five commissioners agreed before a heated public meeting on Monday that they would not answer questions from residents during the forum, Rosenbaum said.

“We had outraged people who wanted answers and we told them we would post the answers on our web site later and that we would only take questions now," she said.

Weiss could not be reached for comment.

Residents had demanded the resignations of Rosenbaum, Weiss and Board President Lorenz Werhane Jr. Werhane has vowed not to resign and could not be reached on Wednesday.

Residents' anger was aroused by an Aug. 1 Tribune story that outgoing Park District Executive Director Ralph Volpe landed $270,999 in bonuses in 2008, boosting his compensation that year to $435,203.

Volpe, who retired at 57, receives a pension this year of $166,332. It would be about $110,000 had he received more typical annual salary hikes of 4 percent, instead of the huge hike and bonus in 2008.

In another case, Park District finance director Kenneth Swan received a five-year contract that called for bonuses of about …More