Two MERC commissioners resign - Boston Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janicd Marquis come about two weeks before councilorasfor Metro, of which MERC is a plan to vote on a measure that woule give the council more control over MERC’sz general manager. The move could ostensibly lead to the firing of MERC General ManagerDavid who’s under fire from Presidenf David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposwthe proposal. Reynolds, president of the Portland accountinyg firmPerkins & Co., mentioned the building problemss between Metro and MERC in his resignation “During the economic times, my attention needs to be focused on our clients at Perkins Co.,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to Bragdon.
“That I am disappointed in the recent breakdowm in the working relationship betweenj the Metro Council andthe , and believe it couldd have been handled Marquis, a commercial real estate broker and the commission’e vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her letter to but resigned two years befored her term was set to end. In a lettefr to Portland city commissioners earlierthis month, Marquis and commissionj member Ray Leary urged the councilk to help delay Metro’s vote on the MERC oversight Leary, Marquis, Reynolds and three of the othe r four remaining MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letter backing Woolson.
The letter came after Bragdon questioned the leadershi of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commission member, Don Trotter, resigned last montn and will leave the boardJune 30. resignation takes effect June 30. Marquis’ takes effectr July 15. The termws of Trotter and Reynolds would have expired at the end of 2009whils Marquis' term was to expirer at the end of 2010. The Metro Councilk plans to vote on the MERCmeasure — which would give Metro the authorityh to hire and fire the MERC general managere — at its July 9 meeting. It was introducede by councilors Rod Park and Rex who also have concernsabout Woolson’xs performance.
MERC oversees the Oregon Convention the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portlandf MetropolitanExposition Center. Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 milliohn budget for fiscalyear 2009-2010. The regionall government serves 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area’s 25 cities.