Metro seeks more control of convention center leadership - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Metro councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholde r will introduce a measure next week giving the council authorityt over individuals who lead the Metropolitan ExpositiohnRecreation Commission. The motion comee after Metro Council President David Bragdobn criticized the performance of MERC General ManagedDavid Woolson. Councilors want to oversee the salary changes and employment statuzsof MERC’s top according to a letted Park and Burkholder sent to Don Trotter, who chairs the commission. Trottefr and other commissioners currently oversees the position and have given Woolson good marks during his first threejob reviews. The council will consider the motiojn at its June11 meeting.
In a Marcgh 31 letter to the commission regardingthe group’z budget requests, Bragdon questioned both Woolson’s leadership as well as the agency’sw higher budgets. Woolson’s office spent $470,568 during the 2007-08 fiscal The number jumped to $838,803 for the currenf year. Woolson requested $877,808 for the 2009-109 fiscal year. However, in a letter dated Marcn 12, 2009 to Bragdon from Metrol finance and administrative services directorMargo Norton, Woolsohn says the cost increases are "primarily the result of a reorganizatio n of the public affairs function and the cost and creation of a business developmenty capability.
" Specifically, MERC's public affairs managee and public affairs coordinator were "reclassified" to a directore of communications and a director of business and community Woolson goes on to state that additional resource s for goods and services for the positions included "advertising, sponsorships...and other general office expensesa in order to have a more effective effort in this In the same letter, Woolson says the numbers alonde don't paint an accurate picture because of unfilled positions in earlier budgets.
Bragdon also said Woolson movedr his office downtown and boosted consultin travel costs and other expenses last He alsocollected “large raises” that, by increasing his salaryy to $184,000, make him more highly paid than his MERC moved downtown from the convention center last It occupies space in the Portland Center for the Performing 1111 S.W. Broadway. MERC, which operates the pays no rent for the One of theMERC Commission's goalws was to increase the organization's downtowb presence. MERC's board approved Woolson'sd pay raises. The board said last year that Woolson “has accomplishede (an) enormous amount of work and inspired staff.
He has quickl detected problems and has move to alleviated orfix (sic). There appearsx to be a new energyat MERC.” Metro’s annual budgety is $40 million. Woolson is the agency’ws highest-paid employee.