Mark Sohaney is leaving the city's top staff job for a role serving the military community. The City Council will choose interim leadership and a search process.

Boca Raton City Manager Mark Sohaney has resigned. He is leaving to take a job that the city said will let him “return to serving the military community.”

The city announced the resignation Friday, Oct. 16, in a news release. The release did not give his last day or name his new employer.

Sohaney started as city manager on Sept. 29, 2025, according to the city’s welcome release at the time. That makes his tenure just over a year.

Who runs the city now

Boca Raton has a council-manager government. The mayor and four council members set policy, and the appointed city manager runs the departments day to day. When Sohaney started, the city said the job covers eight main departments and nearly 1,800 employees.

The release said two things about what happens next:

  • Sohaney will work with the mayor, the City Council and the executive leadership team “to support continuity of City operations and an orderly leadership transition.”
  • The City Council will decide the interim leadership arrangements and the process for picking the next city manager.

The city has not yet said when the council will take up either question. The council usually meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The City Manager’s Office page lists two deputy city managers: Andrew Lukasik, and James Zervis, who is also the chief financial officer.

What the mayor and Sohaney said

“Mark cares deeply about the people who work for this City and the community we serve,” Mayor Andy Thomson said in the release. “He has brought a strong sense of service to his role as City Manager.”

“While this was not an easy decision, the opportunity to return to a mission that has been central to my professional life is especially meaningful to me,” Sohaney said. He added that he remains “fully committed to ensuring a smooth transition.”

Sohaney is a retired U.S. Navy captain. Before Boca Raton, he commanded Naval Air Station Key West and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, the city said.

What it means for you

City services, permits and bills carry on as normal. Nothing in the release changes who you call. Our City Hall contacts page lists the main numbers, including the City Manager’s Office at 561-393-7703.

The choice of an interim manager and the search will happen at public council meetings. You can speak for up to three minutes during public comment, under the city’s rules on its agendas page, where meeting agendas are posted.

The vacancy comes during a busy stretch at City Hall. Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election runs Oct. 19 to Nov. 1, according to the city’s election page.