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Port Richey city manager to retire, mayor says

 
Published Nov. 11, 2015

PORT RICHEY — Retirement may be near for Port Richey City Manager Tom O'Neill, Mayor Dale Massad announced Tuesday night.

"He's probably planning on retiring in January," Massad said at the outset of a City Council meeting.

The news prompted City Council member Nancy Britton to question O'Neill on his decision. O'Neill, sitting next to Massad, did not refute the mayor's statement but told Britton he had no further public comment.

The announcement came during Massad's second meeting since he won a special mayoral election Oct. 13 after Mayor Eloise Taylor passed away in June. Massad, who ran a campaign highly critical of O'Neill's performance as city manager, said Tuesday it was "no secret" the two men have butted heads in the past, but recent meetings between them have been productive.

"I want to thank him for having the character to reach out to me and we both will be working together for the good of the city," Massad said.

O'Neill told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday he knew Massad would be announcing the possible time frame for his retirement but declined further comment, saying discussions between them will continue. He agreed with Massad's assessment that talks went well between the two on a variety of issues.

"I don't have any ax to grind. I want to be able to do things that are right for the community," O'Neill said.

O'Neill was the longtime public works director in New Port Richey before becoming city manager there in 2008. He retired a year later and Port Richey Council hired him as city manager in November 2011, nine months after firing his predecessor.