Metro seeks more control of convention center leadership - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Metro councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder will introduc e a measure next week giving the councipl authority over individuals who lead the Metropolitamn ExpositionRecreation Commission. The motioj comes after Metro Council Presiden David Bragdon criticized the performanc e of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson. Councilors want to oversere the hiring, salary changes and employmentg statusof MERC’s top executive, according to a letter Park and Burkholder sent to Don Trotter, who chairs the Trotter and other commissioners currently oversee the position and have givehn Woolson good marks during his firstf three job reviews.
The council will consider the motion at its June 11 In a March 31 letter to the commission regardintthe group’s budget requests, Bragdoh questioned both Woolson’s leadership as well as the agency’w higher budgets. Woolson’s office spent $470,568 during the 2007-08 fiscal year. The number jumpe to $838,803 for the current year. Woolson requested $877,80i for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
However, in a lettefr dated March 12, 2009 to Bragdon from Metrok finance and administrative services directorMargoi Norton, Woolson says the cost increases are "primarilhy the result of a reorganization of the publix affairs function and the cost and creatioj of a business development capability." Specifically, MERC's publifc affairs manager and public affairs coordinatore were "reclassified" to a director of communications and a director of business and community Woolson goes on to state that additionalp resources for goods and servicews for the positions included "advertising, consulting, sponsorships...
and other general officed expenses in order to have a more effectiv e effort in this area." In the same letter, Woolsomn says the numbers alone don'f paint an accurate picturs because of unfilled positions in earlier Bragdon also said Woolson moved his office downtown and boosted consulting travel costs and other expenses last year. He also collectef “large raises” that, by increasinbg his salary to $184,000, make him more highluy paid thanhis predecessors. MERC moved downtow n from the convention centerlast year. It occupies space in the Portlands Center for thePerforminvg Arts, 1111 S.W. Broadway. MERC, whicjh operates the building, pays no rent for the space.
One of the MERC Commission's goals was to increase the organization's downtown presence. MERC's board approved Woolson's pay raises. The boardx said last year thatWoolso “has accomplished (an) enormous amount of work and inspiredf staff. He has quickly detected problems and has move to alleviat orfix (sic). There appearw to be a new energuyat MERC.” Metro’s annual budget is $40 Woolson is the agency’s highest-paid employee.