UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Paul Ziegler handed in his resignation Tuesday, to the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board. Ziegler said he was hoping to keep it confidential until Thursday's annual Members Meeting.

Instead, someone leaked news of the resignation to two newspapers.

The chairperson of the board, Mark Cherry, says the fact someone leaked Ziegler's resignation is an example of how the board made no bones about trying to force him out of his position. Cherry also said it shows an example of how there are underlying problems with the board.

"The board has become very contentious in the way it runs," Cherry said. "Certain people on the board definitely are stirring the the pot, I guess you could say", said Cherry. "It seems as though when we are trying to move forward were always coming back to that point, so it has become a major issue."

The Convention and Visitors Bureau Board is made up of representatives from the cities of Utica and Rome, along with representatives from the county level. However, that may soon change if the county decides to take over the entity, something Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente has talked about, and something Cherry thinks could be the best decision.

"If they do that, they can dissolve the board, they can put an end to the internal and public wrangling going on," Cherry said. "I don't think that would be a bad thing to happen"

Cherry says there are no plans on how or when they will replace Ziegler yet.