Two MERC commissioners resign - Boston Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janic e Marquis come about two weekds before councilorsfor Metro, of whicg MERC is a subsidiary, plan to vote on a measurs that would give the councipl more control over MERC’s generapl manager. The move could ostensibly lead to the firint of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson, who’ws under fire from Presiden t David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposethe proposal. president of the Portlanc accounting firmPerkins Co., mentioned the building problem s between Metro and MERC in his resignation “During the economic times, my attention needs to be focuserd on our clients at Perkins Co.
,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to Bragdon. “That I am disappointed in the recent breakdown in the workingb relationship between the Metro Council andthe , and believd it could have been handled differently.” a commercial real estate broker and the commission’se vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposall in her letter to Bragdon, but resigned two yeards before her term was set to end. In a letter to Portlanrd city commissioners earlier this Marquis and commission member Ray Leary urgedf the council to helpdelay Metro’s vote on the MERC oversight matter.
Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the other four remaining MERC commissions also sent Bragdoh a letterbacking Woolson. The letter came afteer Bragdon questioned the leadership of MERC General ManagefDavid Woolson. The other commission Don Trotter, resigned last month and will leav e the boardJune 30. Reynolds’ resignation takes effecft June 30. Marquis’ takes effect July 15. The terms of Trotter and Reynolds wouldf have expired at the end of 2009whiles Marquis' term was to expire at the end of 2010. The Metri Council plans to vote on the MERCmeasure — whichj would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generap manager — at its July 9 meeting.
It was introduce by councilors Rod Park andRex Burkholder, who also have concernxs about Woolson’s performance. MERC oversees the Oregon Convention Center, the Portland Centet for the Performing Arts and the Portland MetropolitannExposition Center. Metro’s councilorse are mulling a $457 milliojn budget for fiscalyear 2009-2010. The regiona l government serves 1.4 million people in the metropolitamn area’s 25 cities.