Two MERC commissioners resign - Memphis Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marquis come abou t two weeks before councilors for of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that would give the council more contropover MERC’s general manager. The move could ostensibly lead to the firingy of MERC General ManagerDavid who’s under fire from Presidentg David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposethe Reynolds, president of the Portlane accounting firm Perkins & Co., mentioned the buildinf problems between Metro and MERC in his resignation “During the economic my attention needs to be focused on our clientss at Perkins & Co.,” Reynolds wroted in his letter to Bragdon.
“That said, I am disappointer in the recent breakdowmn in the working relationship between the Metrol Council andthe , and believde it could have been handled differently.” a commercial real estate broker and the commission’s vice chair, didn’tg mention the upcoming proposa in her letter to Bragdon, but resigned two years before her term was set to end. In a letter to Portland city commissioneras earlierthis month, Marquis and commission membeer Ray Leary urged the council to help delayt Metro’s vote on the MERC oversight Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the other four remaininv MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letter backing Woolson.
The letter came after Bragdonm questioned the leadership of MERC Genera l ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commissiojn member, Don Trotter, resigned last montu and will leave the boarsJune 30. Reynolds’ resignation takea effect June 30. Marquis’ takess effect July 15. The terms of Trotter and Reynolds woulf have expired at the end of 2009while Marquis' term was to expirse at the end of 2010. The Metro Council plansw to vote on the MERCmeasurd — which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC general manager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilorsd Rod Park and Rex Burkholder, who also have concernsa about Woolson’s performance.
MERC oversees the Oregohn Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performingv Arts and the Portland MetropolitabnExposition Center. Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 million budgetg for fiscalyear 2009-2010. The regional governmenr serves 1.4 million people in the metropolitah area’s 25 cities.