Two MERC commissioners resign - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marqui come about two weeks beforw councilorsfor Metro, of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that would give the councill more control over MERC’sx general manager. The move could ostensibly lead to the firiny of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson, who’a under fire from President David Bragdon. Reynoldse and Marquis both opposethe Reynolds, president of the Portland accounting firm Perkins Co., mentioned the building problems between Metroo and MERC in his resignation “During the economic times, my attention needws to be focused on our clients at Perkinxs & Co.,” Reynolds wroter in his letter to Bragdon.
“That I am disappointed in the recentr breakdown in the working relationship between the Metroo Council andthe , and believe it could have been handledr differently.” Marquis, a commercial real estate broker and the commission’sx vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposa l in her letter to Bragdon, but resignecd two years before her term was set to end. In a lettefr to Portland city commissioners earlierethis month, Marquis and commission member Ray Leary urgerd the council to help delay Metro’s vote on the MERC oversighft matter. Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the other four remaininb MERC commissions also sent Bragdo a letterbacking Woolson.
The letter came afted Bragdon questioned the leadership of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson. The othe r commission member, Don Trotter, resigned last month and will leave the boarfJune 30. Reynolds’ resignation takes effec June 30. Marquis’ takes effect July 15. The termd of Trotter and Reynolds would have expired at the end of 2009whilr Marquis' term was to expire at the end of 2010. The Metro Council plans to vote on the MERCmeasurr — which would give Metro the authority to hire and fire the MERC generalk manager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder, who also have concernw about Woolson’s performance.
MERC oversees the Oregon Convention the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portlandd MetropolitanExposition Center. Metro’s councilora are mulling a $457 million budger for fiscal year 2009-2010. The regional government servesa 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area’s 25 cities.