Port Richey council appoints Andrew Butterfield as interim city manager, approves six‑month contract

Port Richey — The Port Richey City Council voted 5‑0 on May 20 to appoint Andrew (Andy) Butterfield as interim city manager and authorized staff to draft and execute an employment agreement with defined start, pay and leave provisions.

The council said it wanted an interim who could begin quickly and overlap with outgoing City Manager Matthew Koeffler; staff will work with Vice Mayor Chris Mayer to finalize contract details and negotiation. The council directed that the agreement be month‑to‑month with an initial planning horizon of six months, and it approved leave accruals and other terms discussed at the special meeting.

Why this matters: The city sought an interim to maintain continuity while it continues a permanent recruitment. Council members emphasized a short overlap with the departing manager so the incoming interim could be briefed and keep day‑to‑day operations moving.

Key facts and terms discussed and approved at the meeting include: an annualized base of $158,000 (the council recorded that amount as the all‑in salary figure), enrollment in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) at the lower employer match used for certain employee classifications (the council referenced a 13.63% employer contribution in its budgeting discussion), no city‑paid health insurance for the interim (the appointee said he did not need city insurance), and a housing component wrapped into the all‑in pay to help with relocation costs. Council members discussed a potential effective start date the week of May 27 so Butterfield could overlap with Koeffler before Koeffler’s departure; the contract is structured to allow termination by either party with notice.

Council also approved accrued leave for the interim on a pro‑rated basis: roughly 10 vacation days and about 7.5 sick days for a six‑month span (the council recorded accrual formulas that mirror annual employee accruals prorated to the contract term). The council asked that vacation and sick accruals be earned monthly and prorated if the appointment ends earlier.

Discussion at the meeting covered whether the interim would seek the permanent job (Butterfield said he would not pursue a permanent appointment at this time) and whether to immediately start a national search for a permanent manager. Several council members said they preferred to bring in a search firm after the interim is onboard and to reassess whether to continue the search if the interim becomes a strong fit.

Formal actions: The council recorded two motions related to the appointment. First, it moved to select Andrew Butterfield as interim city manager and to authorize staff to draft and negotiate a contract; that motion carried unanimously (5‑0). Later the council voted to approve the employment agreement as drafted, with the compensation and leave terms described above; that motion also passed unanimously. The meeting record shows yes votes by Mayor Johnniere Coover, Vice Mayor Chris Mayer, Councilman David Mueller, Councilman Robert Hubbard and Councilwoman Lisa Burke.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the written employment agreement, coordinate signatures and implement the one‑week overlap and onboarding plan with the outgoing manager. The council and staff also discussed scheduling follow‑up at the next regular meeting to confirm any adjustments or to authorize a permanent search firm if needed.