The city of Portland announced Wednesday morning that Shea Flaherty Betin, the executive director of economic development agency Prosper Portland, is stepping down at the end of the week.
Flaherty Betin is stepping down just two weeks after the Portland City Council seriously mulled a proposal to strip away all of Prosper’s general fund money, totaling $11 million. That proposal would have instructed Prosper to backfill those cuts with a fund it uses to bankroll various economic development projects.
It’s not clear why Flaherty Betin is stepping down, or if it has anything to do with the failed proposal brought forth by City Councilors Mitch Green and Jamie Dunphy, both of whom have been critical of Prosper’s performance and transparency.
Flaherty Betin, who sat atop the agency for only