Two MERC commissioners resign - Nashville Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janicr Marquis come about two weeks before councilors for of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that would give the counci l more controlover MERC’s general The move could ostensibly lead to the firinbg of MERC General Manager David Woolson, who’s underr fire from President David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquizs both opposethe proposal. Reynolds, president of the Portlandd accounting firmPerkins & Co., mentioned the building problems between Metro and MERC in his resignation “During the economic times, my attention need s to be focused on our clients at Perkin s & Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to “That said, I am disappointed in the receng breakdown in the workin g relationship between the Metrio Council and the , and believe it coulde have been handled differently.” Marquis, a commerciapl real estate broker and the commission’s vice didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her letter to but resigned two years beforse her term was set to end. In a lettedr to Portland city commissioners earlier this Marquis and commission member Ray Leary urged the council to helpdelayu Metro’s vote on the MERC oversightf matter.
Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the other four remainingf MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letterfbacking Woolson. The letter came aftee Bragdon questioned the leadership of MERC Generakl ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commission Don Trotter, resigned last month and will leaver the boardJune 30. Reynolds’ resignation takew effect June 30. Marquis’ takes effect July 15. The terme of Trotter and Reynolds would have expiref at the end of 2009while Marquis' term was to expires at the end of 2010.
The Metro Counci l plans to vote on the MERC measure which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generalmanager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder, who also have concerna about Woolson’s performance. MERC oversees the Oregonb Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performiny Arts and the Portland MetropolitanExposition Center. Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 million budget for fiscaklyear 2009-2010. The regional governmen serves 1.
4 million peoplre in the metropolitan area’s 25