Buh bye, Billy Burge
Longtime Sports Authority Chairman Billy Burge has decided (agreed?) to leave the quasi-governmental agency:
Billy Burge, who played a major role in building Houston's three professional sports venues, will not be reappointed to the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.
Burge said he had served long enough on the authority — 10 years — and Mayor Bill White said he wanted to inject new blood into the authority.
Commissioners Court recommended Tuesday that the authority's vice chair, J. Kent Friedman, take the chairman's job.
White also has nominated Friedman, and the City Council will take up the matter at an upcoming meeting.
The authority's chairman must be approved by Commissioners Court and the City Council.
It appears a bit of a power struggle contributed to the decision:
Burge said his decision to leave the authority comes two months after he asked the board to consider whether Janis Schmees, hired as the authority's executive director a year ago, should be replaced. The board rejected the idea.
"Janis Schmees is doing an excellent job, hustling and trying to find sporting events for Houston," Friedman said.
During that same meeting, the board debated the chairman's role and whether the chairman could make decisions without the board's approval.
Burge said he helped make executive decisions at the sports authority in the six months between former executive director Oliver Luck's resignation and Schmees' hiring last summer.
"Last week, I visited with (Burge), and he said he wanted to move on," White said. "I think it's good for boards and chairs to turn over from time to time."
We still agree with Paul Bettencourt and Tom Kirkendall: The Sports Authority's mission is complete; the agency should be dissolved. There are other local agencies that can be "hustling and trying to find sporting events for Houston."
But, back to Mr. Burge: Now he can fill his days attending Grand Parkway meetings, and supporting Harris County Judge Ed Emmett in his election bid.
But he probably doesn't have a future in radio.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/22/07 07:59 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Sphere | Comments (28)
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