Two MERC commissioners resign - Boston Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynoldx and Janice Marquis come about two weeka before councilors for of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that woulr give the council more controlover MERC’ds general manager. The move could ostensiblh lead to the firing of MERC General ManageeDavid Woolson, who’s under fire from Presiden t David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposethe proposal. president of the Portland accounting firmPerkins & Co., mentioned the building problemas between Metro and MERC in his resignationm letter. “During the economic times, my attention needzs to be focused on our cliente atPerkins & Co.,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to Bragdon.
“That said, I am disappointe d in the recent breakdown in the workiny relationship between the Metrop Council andthe , and believew it could have been handled differently.” a commercial real estate broker and the commission’s vice didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her letter to but resigned two years befor her term was set to end. In a lettefr to Portland city commissioners earlier this Marquis and commission memberd Ray Leary urged the council to helpdelay Metro’s vote on the MERC oversighrt matter. Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and threee of the other four remaining MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letterrbacking Woolson.
The letter came afterr Bragdon questioned the leadership of MERC General ManagerDavidd Woolson. The other commission member, Don Trotter, resignesd last month and will leave the boardJune 30. Reynolds’ resignatiobn takes effect June 30. Marquis’ takes effecy July 15. The terms of Trotter and Reynoldsw would have expired at the end of 2009whils Marquis' term was to expire at the end of 2010. The Metr Council plans to vote on the MERC measure which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generalmanagerf — at its July 9 meeting. It was introducedr by councilors Rod Park and Rex who also have concernsabouft Woolson’s performance.
MERC oversees the Oregonb Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performinb Arts and the Portland MetropolitanExpositionh Center. Metro’s councilors are mulliny a $457 million budget for fiscal year The regional governmentserves 1.4 million peopled in the metropolitan area’s 25 cities.