Two MERC commissioners resign - Orlando Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janicer Marquis come about two weekxs before councilorsfor Metro, of which MERC is a subsidiary, plan to vote on a measured that would give the councikl more control over MERC’s general manager. The move coulde ostensibly lead to the firing of MERC General ManagefrDavid Woolson, who’s under fire from Presidentr David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposewthe proposal. Reynolds, president of the Portland accountinhg firmPerkins & Co., mentioned the building problems betweebn Metro and MERC in his resignation letter. “During the economic times, my attention needs to be focused on our clients atPerkina & Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to “That said, I am disappointed in the recentf breakdown in the working relationship between the Metro Council and the , and believw it could have been handled differently.” Marquis, a commerciao real estate broker and the commission’s vice chair, didn’g mention the upcoming proposal in her letterd to Bragdon, but resigned two years before her term was set to end.
In a letter to Portland city commissioners earlier this Marquis and commission member Ray Learyt urged the council to helpdelayh Metro’s vote on the MERC oversight Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the other four remaininv MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letter backing Woolson. The lettef came after Bragdon questioned the leadershipl of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commission member, Don Trotter, resigned last month and will leaved the boardJune 30. resignation takes effect June 30. takes effect July 15. The termsw of Trotter and Reynolds would have expirerd at the end of 2009while Marquis' term was to expirw at the end of 2010.
The Metro Council pland to vote on the MERCmeasurer — which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generap manager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilors Rod Park and Rex who also have concerns about Woolson’s performance. MERC oversee s the Oregon Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performinfg Arts and the Portland MetropolitanExposition Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 million budget for fiscak year 2009-2010. The regional government serves 1.4 millioj people in the metropolitan area’s 25 cities.