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Port Richey Hires Reade

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 22, 2007

PORT RICHEY - The little city by the river has hired a new captain to take the helm.

City officials reached an agreement late Thursday with Richard Reade, 36, of Sanford, to replace City Manager Jerry Calhoun, who left in September for a private contracting position in Iraq. Reade's one-year contract includes a $80,000 salary with benefits.

He is expected to start Wednesday.

"He's very young and enthusiastic and wants to start right away," Interim City Manager Jim Mathieu said. "It's been a hard search, but we think he's a good match."

Reade was a finalist for city manager of Dade City over the summer but couldn't come to terms with officials there on a salary and benefits package, so he withdrew from consideration.

Reade was city manager of Davenport, in Polk County, from 2003 to 2004. From 1999 to 2003, he held various administrative jobs in Auburndale, also in Polk County, and has worked in Haines City and West Palm Beach, too. More recently, he has worked as a consultant, negotiating land deals for a developer in Central Florida.

Port Richey's manager oversees about 50 people and an annual budget of about $10 million.

Calhoun, a Texas native, was hired to the Port Richey job in 2004 to replace Vincent Lupo, who was abruptly fired by then-Mayor Eloise Taylor after an eight-year tenure.

Mathieu, who is also the city attorney, will return to that job once Reade takes over.

Reade was the fourth choice for Port Richey, which had offered the position to several other candidates from various corners of the state. All of them turned down the job.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (727) 815-1083 or cwade@tampatrib.com.

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