Discussions

Not sure how much people have been following the situation with the Renaissance District, but Chamber President Lee Bass has resigned from Renaissance Brandon citing the reason that the city has gotten away from the original mandate of letting Renaissance be an relatively independant organization.  
 
The timing would imply that the straw that broke the camel's back was the lack of any voice from the Renaissance District during weeks leading up to the casino plebiscite.  
 
Mayor Burgess has gotten involved, publicly standing behind the way Renaissance is currently operated.  
 
This begs the question, how much do Brandonites feel the City should be involved in the operation of Renaissance? On one end, one could argue that Brandon as a city has a lot at stake that rides on the success or failure of downtown and should be involved in decision making and guiding the process. On the other, individuals such as Lee Bass would argue that certain potential conflicts of interest (such as the casino situation and the city's need to feel neutral on the vote) may prevent the organization from being run in a way that's best for downtown.  
 
Where do eBrandonners sit, and why?