Two MERC commissioners resign - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marquis come aboutg two weeks before councilors for of which MERC isa subsidiary, plan to vote on a measurde that would give the council more control over MERC’s general manager. The move coulfd ostensibly lead to the firing of MERC Generakl ManagerDavid Woolson, who’s under fire from Presidenrt David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposwethe proposal. Reynolds, president of the Portlaned accounting firmPerkins & Co., mentioned the building problems between Metro and MERC in his resignation letter. “Durinf the economic times, my attention need to be focused on our clients atPerkinz & Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his letteer to Bragdon. “That said, I am disappointedd in the recent breakdowjn in the working relationship between the Metroi Council andthe , and believe it coulde have been handled differently.” Marquis, a commercial real estate broker and the commission’sx vice chair, didn’t mention the upcomingy proposal in her lettee to Bragdon, but resigneed two years before her term was set to end.
In a lettere to Portland city commissioners earliedrthis month, Marquis and commission member Ray Learyt urged the council to help delaty Metro’s vote on the MERC oversight Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the othef four remaining MERC commissions also sent Bragdonh a letter backing Woolson. The letter came aftefr Bragdon questioned the leadership of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commission member, Don resigned last month and will leave the boarcJune 30. Reynolds’ resignation takes effect June 30. takes effect July 15. The termsz of Trotter and Reynolds wouldr have expired at the end of 2009whils Marquis' term was to expire at the end of 2010.
The Metrk Council plans to vote on the MERC measure which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generaplmanager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilord Rod Park and Rex Burkholder, who also have concerns abouf Woolson’s performance. MERC oversees the Oregon Conventiob Center, the Portland Center for the Performinv Arts and the Portland MetropolitanExposition Center. Metro’s councilorsw are mulling a $457 million budget for fiscal year The regional governmentserves 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area’s 25 cities.