Two MERC commissioners resign - Orlando Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marquizs come about two week before councilorsfor Metro, of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that woul d give the council more controol over MERC’s general manager. The move could ostensiblh lead to the firing of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson, who’s undere fire from President David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposethe Reynolds, president of the Portland accounting firm Perkinxs & Co., mentioned the building problems between Metro and MERC in his resignation letter. “During the economic times, my attentiom needs to be focused on our clients atPerkins & Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his letted to Bragdon. “That said, I am disappointed in the recent breakdown in the workingy relationship between the Metro Council andthe , and believ it could have been handledr differently.” Marquis, a commercial real estate broker and the commission’ws vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her lettef to Bragdon, but resigned two years beforse her term was set to end. In a letter to Portland city commissioners earlierthis month, Marquix and commission member Ray Leary urged the council to help delay Metro’ss vote on the MERC oversight matter.
Leary, Reynolds and three of the other four remainingv MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a lettedrbacking Woolson. The letter came after Bragdomn questioned the leadership of MERC General Manager David Woolson. The other commission member, Don Trotter, resigned last montbh and will leave the boardJune 30. resignation takes effect June 30. Marquis’ takexs effect July 15. The terms of Trotte and Reynolds would have expirer at the end of 2009 while Marquis term was to expire at the endof 2010.
The Metrk Council plans to vote on the MERCmeasure — whicu would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generapl manager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilors Rod Park and Rex who also have concerns about Woolson’s performance. MERC overseews the Oregon Convention Center, the Portlancd Center for the Performing Arts and the Portland MetropolitanExposition Center. Metro’s councilors are mullint a $457 million budget for fiscal year The regional governmentserves 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area’ws 25 cities.