The Howard County Council has ordered Donald B. Messenger to resign from his position as a member of the Board of Appeals.

A source close to the board confirmed that a letter was sent from the council to Messenger. He has served on the board, which reviews special exceptions and variances from the zoning code and appeals of administrative decisions by county agencies, since January 1996.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear when Messenger, whose five-year term doesn't end until January 2001, would resign.

Tom Carbo, counsel for the board, declined to comment on the letter. He said that since the council appoints board members, it has the power to remove them without granting a hearing.

In an interview Monday, Messenger acknowledged that he has been considering resigning for the past year because the board has become "too political," but he did not mention the letter.

"I'm sick of the whole business," Messenger, a partner in the Messenger & Callahan law firm in Laurel, said in an interview Monday. "It's gotten to me."

Messenger did not return several messages for comment yesterday.

Other board members and County Council members either did not respond to interview requests or declined to comment because the issue is a personnel matter.

Pub Date: 3/04/99