Port Richey council unanimously hires Don King as city manager; mayor to negotiate transition with interim manager

PORT RICHEY, Fla. — The Port Richey City Council voted unanimously Oct. 21 to hire Don King as the city’s next city manager and directed the mayor to negotiate details of a transition with interim City Manager Andrew “Andy” Butterfield.

Council members voted 5-0 to approve an immediate offer to King after a special meeting in which King answered council and staff questions about budgeting, strategic planning, annexation and post-disaster recovery. Mayor John Eric Hoover then said he would work with King and Butterfield on start dates and an overlap period and bring negotiated terms back to council for final action.

The hire ends a months-long search and follows a previous hiring process in which King was a finalist. Council members and public commenters who spoke at the meeting said King’s municipal and installation-command experience made him a strong candidate for the Port Richey role.

King described his background to the council as broad and municipal-focused, noting experience in budgeting, disaster response and code and zoning changes. “I bring a broad set of skills based on my professional career,” he told the council during the interview. He said his priorities would include infrastructure maintenance, fiscal management and tourism development if hired.

Several council members emphasized the practical reasons for meeting King quickly. Mayor Hoover said the council’s earlier plan was to extend Butterfield’s contract for six months and conduct an in-house search, but that King’s availability and previous vetting made an interview warranted. “We were going to extend a contract to Andy for six months, and we would start the search process,” Hoover said, explaining why the council called the special session.

Public comment before the vote was largely supportive of King. Resident Devin Aaron, who said he had attended the prior hiring process, told the council: “I think this man is perfect for the job.” Linda Rodriguez, another resident, urged the council to “do right” by Butterfield and suggested a severance or transition arrangement.

Council members debated how to handle Butterfield’s existing agreement. The council had, at a prior meeting, agreed to a six-month extension for Butterfield; members at this session said that commitment remained open and should be respected while the mayor works out practical transition details. Mayor Hoover said he would negotiate start dates, overlap and any compensation matters and then return the proposal to council.

The council also discussed process and transparency. Several members said the approach — interviewing a previously vetted finalist without reopening a public search — was unorthodox but legally permissible. Members noted the risk that candidates with active offers could accept other positions if the city delayed a decision.

King told the council he was not immediately able to relocate because of a VA loan occupancy requirement on his Riverview home, but said he and his family had discussed options including local temporary housing or splitting time until he could move permanently. The candidate described prior experience managing budgets that included multiple restricted funding streams and said he had used emergency city funds and later sought FEMA reimbursement following storms.

Formal actions taken by the council at the meeting: - Motion and unanimous approval to extend an offer to Don King to serve as city manager (vote 5-0). - Motion and majority approval to authorize the mayor to negotiate transition terms with King and Butterfield and return negotiated terms to council for final approval (motion carried; roll call vote recorded).

What happens next: the mayor will negotiate start dates and transition details with King and Butterfield and bring the resulting agreement back to the council for final approval. Council members said they want the negotiations to balance continuity for ongoing projects and fiscal responsibility for the city’s budget.

Reported remarks are drawn from the Oct. 21 special council meeting transcript and public comments; the council did not adopt final transition terms during the meeting.