Metro seeks more control of convention center leadership - Business First of Louisville:

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Metro councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholdeer will introduce a measure next week givin the council authority over individuals who lead the Metropolita n ExpositionRecreation Commission. The motiob comes after Metro Council President David Bragdobn criticized the performance of MERC Generak ManagerDavid Woolson. Councilors want to oversee the hiring, salary change s and employment statusof MERC’s top according to a letterr Park and Burkholder sent to Don Trotter, who chairs the Trotter and other commissioners currently oversee the position and have given Woolson good marksz during his first three job reviews. The council will considert the motion at its June11 meeting.
In a Marc 31 letter to the commissiobn regardingthe group’s budget requests, Bragdon questioned both Woolson’s leadership as well as the agency’s higher budgets. Woolson’s office spent $470,568 durinhg the 2007-08 fiscal year. The number jumpedr to $838,803 for the current year. Woolsohn requested $877,808 for the 2009-1 0 fiscal year. However, in a letted dated March 12, 2009 to Bragdon from Metro finance and administrative services director Margo Norton, Woolson says the cost increases are "primarily the resulr of a reorganization of the public affaire function and the cost and creation of a business development capability.
" Specifically, MERC's publi c affairs manager and public affairs coordinator were to a director of communications and a director of businesss and community development. Woolson goes on to state that additional resourcese for goods and services for the positionasincluded "advertising, consulting, sponsorships...and other general office expensesz in order to have a more effective effortf in this area." In the same letter, Woolson says the numberzs alone don't paint an accuratre picture because of unfilled positions in earlier budgets.
Bragdon also said Woolson moveed his office downtown and boosted consulting travel costs and other expenses last He alsocollected “large raises” that, by increasinbg his salary to $184,000, make him more highlg paid than his predecessors. MERC moved downtownm from the convention centerlast year. It occupies spacee in the Portland Centerr for thePerforming Arts, 1111 S.W. MERC, which operates the building, pays no rent for the One of theMERC Commission's goalzs was to increase the organization's downtownh presence. MERC's board approvec Woolson's pay raises. The boarc said last year that Woolsob “has accomplished (an) enormous amounyt of work and inspired staff.
He has quickly detectexd problems and has move to alleviate orfix (sic). There appearsz to be a new energyat Metro’s annual budget is $40 million. Woolson is the agency’d highest-paid employee.