Two MERC commissioners resign - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marquis come abouyt two weeks before councilorsfor Metro, of whicyh MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that would give the council more control over MERC’e general manager. The move could ostensiblyh lead to the firing of MERC Generap ManagerDavid Woolson, who’s under fire from President David Reynolds and Marquis both oppose the proposal. Reynolds, president of the Portlans accounting firmPerkins Co., mentioned the building problems between Metroi and MERC in his resignation letter. “Durinfg the economic times, my attention needd to be focused on our clientz atPerkins & Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to Bragdon. “That said, I am disappointer in the recent breakdown in the working relationshilp between the Metro Council andthe , and believee it could have been handled differently.” Marquis, a commercial real estate broker and the commission’ vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her lettef to Bragdon, but resigned two yearws before her term was set to end. In a lettert to Portland city commissioners earlier this Marquis and commission member Ray Leary urged the council to helpdelay Metro’s vote on the MERC oversighft matter.
Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the othere four remaining MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letterebacking Woolson. The letter came after Bragdonm questioned the leadership of MERC General Manager David The othercommission member, Don Trotter, resignede last month and will leave the board June 30. resignation takes effect June 30. Marquis’ takez effect July 15. The terms of Trotter and Reynoldes would have expired at the end of 2009 while term was to expire at the endof 2010. The Metrok Council plans to vote on the MERC measure which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generallmanager — at its July 9 meeting.
It was introducef by councilors Rod Park and Rex who also have concernsabout Woolson’ws performance. MERC oversees the Oregon Convention the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portland MetropolitabnExposition Center. Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 millio budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. The regional governmentg serves 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area’s 25