Two MERC commissioners resign - Orlando Business Journal:

jiqatili.wordpress.com
The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marquis come abouty two weeks before councilorsfor Metro, of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that wouldd give the council more controk over MERC’s general manager. The move could ostensiblh lead to the firing of MERC General ManagerDavid who’s under fire from Presiden t David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposdethe proposal. Reynolds, president of the Portlands accounting firmPerkins & Co., mentioned the buildinh problems between Metro and MERC in his resignationb letter. “During the economic times, my attentiom needs to be focused on our clients atPerkinsw & Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his lettedr to Bragdon. “That said, I am disappointed in the recenr breakdown in the working relationship between the Metro Council andthe , and believe it could have been handled differently.” a commercial real estate broker and the commission’es vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her lettere to Bragdon, but resigned two years beforee her term was set to end. In a letter to Portlanrd city commissioners earlierthis month, Marquis and commissionh member Ray Leary urged the council to help delaty Metro’s vote on the MERC oversight matter.
Marquis, Reynolds and three of the other four remaininhg MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letterbackingg Woolson. The letter came after Bragdojn questioned the leadership of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commission member, Don resigned last month and will leaver the boardJune 30. resignation takes effect June 30. takes effect July 15. The terms of Trotter and Reynolds woulrd have expired at the end of 2009while Marquis'' term was to expire at the end of 2010. The Metrl Council plans to vote on the MERC measure which would give Metro the authorit y to hire and fire the MERC generalkmanager — at its July 9 meeting.
It was introducedc by councilors Rod Park andRex Burkholder, who also have concernsa about Woolson’s performance. MERC oversees the Oregojn Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portlande MetropolitanExposition Center. Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 million budgef for fiscal year The regional governmentserves 1.4 milliomn people in the metropolitan area’s 25 cities.