City Finance Director Gives Two Weeks' Notice

New Port Richey Finance Director Rick Snyder has announced he is leaving his job.

Snyder announced his resignation, effective Feb. 27, in a brief, one-paragraph letter sent to John Schneiger on Monday.

“I regret any inconvenience that this will cause,” Snyder wrote in his letter. “Due to the extensive volume of current projects, it will be impossible to complete them before my last day, although I will make every effort to delegate them. I wish you and the city of New Port Richey much success in the future.”

Snyder declined to comment after attending Tuesday's city council meeting.

The resignation comes within a month of the departure of the city attorney. Attorney Thomas Morrison chose not to renew his contract last month and left his job on January 31, although an interim has been found.

Schneiger said he will be talking to Snyder about the resignation Wednesday morning.

“We haven’t discussed it at this point,” Schneiger said after the city council meeting. “It’s a personnel issue, and I‘m not really sure it’s appropriate that I comment on what I might conjecture.”

The finance manager oversees the city’s accounting, utilities billing, purchasing, and information technology. Snyder's most recent annual salary was $77,812, according to the city. He started working for the city May 17, 1993.

Snyder is leaving as the city council is discussing issues that will affect next year’s budget. On Tuesday, it discussed the New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center. The week before, it discussed the city’s , which has a $21 million debt that includes $14 million incurred by the recreation center.

Schneiger said Wednesday that the city has one lead for an interim finance director and has begun looking for a permanent replacement for Snyder. 

City council members said at their regular meeting said they had liked Snyder's work and were sorry to see him go. Councilwoman Judy DeBella Thomas said she joined others in being "disappointed" that he was leaving.

Deputy Mayor Rob Marlowe said after the meeting that he did not know why Snyder was leaving. Snyder did a good job, Marlowe said, and he will be missed.

“That’s going to be a big set of shoes to fill,” he said.

Here’s what else you might have missed in the city council chambers Tuesday

• The city reviewed the status and budget of the . It looked at the center’s revenues, offered suggestions on marketing and how to earn more money and panned a plan to expand the fitness center.
• It approved a $60,000 replacement of thes carpet, which will come from the county's Penny for Pasco funding.
• The recognized Chris Denton, who works in traffic homicide, as Officer of the Year. It recognized Elizabeth Nichols, code enforcement officer, as Civilian of the Year.  

This article has been updated with new information.