PORT RICHEY — The city of Port Richey is once again searching for a city manager following the sudden resignation of Don King Jr., marking another leadership change in a city that has experienced significant turnover in recent years.
At a special meeting Monday, the Port Richey City Council appointed Operations Manager Sal Licari as interim city manager. King's resignation took effect Friday.
Watch report from Tampa Bay 28's Erik Waxler
Licari has worked for the city for nearly 30 years.
Mayor John Eric Hoover said King authorized a consulting payment of nearly $10,000 for a proposal that had not been approved by the City Council. Hoover said there were also other management concerns that contributed to King's departure.
The change means Port Richey, a city of fewer than 4,000 residents, will be looking for its fourth city manager in the past five years.
The latest transition comes after years of instability that have drawn attention to the small Pasco County city. In 2019, former Mayor Dale Massad was arrested following a confrontation with police that generated national headlines. Former City Manager Tom O'Neill was arrested on DUI charges during his tenure.
Despite the city's history of controversy, Hoover said Port Richey has made significant progress in recent years.
"It's all those things that happened in the past that people remember, right," Hoover said. "They don't necessarily remember the good things that happened. So, it's my role to continue to create those good things and distance ourselves from the past as far as we can. I can tell you we've done some monumental things in the past three years of my tenure."
Hoover pointed to lower taxes, millions of dollars secured for infrastructure improvements and plans for future waterfront development as examples of the city's progress.
City officials expect to begin the process of selecting a permanent city manager in the near future.
Full statement from Mayor John Eric Hoover:
Good evening.
Before we move forward with tonight's agenda, I want to address the recent resignation of City Manager Don A. King Jr. and provide some context to our residents regarding how we arrived at this point.
First, I want to thank Mr. King for his service to the City of Port Richey. Public service is not always easy, and I appreciate the time and effort he dedicated to our community during his tenure. I wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors.
As many residents are aware, Mr. King submitted his resignation on June 12th. While personnel matters are often handled with discretion, I believe the public deserves a reasonable level of transparency regarding decisions that affect the leadership of their city government.
This situation did not arise from a single event. On April 28, 2026, the City Council conducted Mr. King's 90-day evaluation. During that evaluation, multiple council members expressed concerns regarding communication, responsiveness, and overall management practices. At that time, Council chose to continue moving forward and provide an opportunity for improvement. While some progress was made, additional concerns continued to surface.
One of those concerns involved a consulting proposal that had been discussed by Council on November 25, 2025. During that meeting,
Council reached a consensus that the proposal should not be paid at that time and that the matter would be revisited and discussed further before any future action was taken. That subsequent discussion never occurred.
Last week, I became aware that payment for that proposal had in fact been authorized and made several months later without the matter being brought back before Council for the discussion that had been contemplated. The proposal involved an expenditure of $9,850, which was within the City Manager's spending authority. However, the concern was not the amount itself. The concern was that Council had previously discussed the matter, expressed its intent that payment not occur at that time, and expected any future action to be brought back for further discussion before proceeding.
For me, and potentially for several members of Council, this raised serious concerns regarding communication, accountability, and trust between the governing body and the City Manager's office.
Effective local government depends on a strong working relationship built on transparency, candor, mutual respect, and confidence between elected officials and administration.
After reviewing the circumstances and discussing the matter directly with Mr. King on June 12th, he chose to submit his resignation. I respect that decision, and tonight our focus is not on the past but on ensuring stability and continuity for the City of Port Richey moving forward.
This evening, the Council will be considering the appointment of an Interim City Manager who will oversee day-to-day operations while we evaluate the best long-term path forward. Our responsibility is to ensure that city services continue without interruption and that the important work of serving our residents continues every day.
I also want to reassure our residents, businesses, community partners, and city employees that Port Richey remains in a very strong position.
We have an outstanding leadership team, dedicated department directors, exceptional first responders, and hardworking employees who serve this community with professionalism and pride every single day. The success of this city has never rested on one individual. It is the result of a team of committed public servants working together to move our community forward.
Over the past several years, Port Richey has made tremendous progress. We have lowered taxes, secured millions of dollars in infrastructure funding, invested in public safety, strengthened regional partnerships, advanced waterfront redevelopment initiatives, improved our financial position, and laid the groundwork for future economic growth. Those accomplishments were achieved because of the collective efforts of our staff, City Council, community partners, and residents, and that progress will continue.
Leadership transitions can naturally create questions, but there is no reason for concern. City operations will continue uninterrupted.
Projects will continue moving forward. Our employees will continue delivering the high level of service our residents have come to expect.
The City of Port Richey is strong. Our organization is strong. Our staff is strong. Our future is incredibly bright.
Tonight is not about uncertainty. It is about ensuring accountability, maintaining public trust, and continuing the momentum that has positioned Port Richey for long-term success.
This Council remains committed to providing stable and accountable leadership, responsible governance, and a clear vision for the future. We will continue working every day to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Port Richey for our residents, businesses, and future generations.
Thank you.
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