BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (WLOS) — Black Mountain Brewing owner John Richardson announced his candidacy for Black Mountain Town Council this November.
Richardson said he decided to run due to a dispute with the Town of Black Mountain concerning the closure of his brewery’s deck in 2025, impacting his business financially. The town later admitted to past errors in permitting and inspection practices tied to the closure.
“The way that I’ve been treated, and we’ve had to go public with it, it’s driven people away from Black Mountain and we have to do better,” Richardson said. “So yeah, it got to the point after mediation that, my wife and I talked about it and really feel like for the sake of our businesses, for the sake of our family and also just for the sake of the fact that we want to continue to live in this beautiful little town and don’t want to see it destroyed, we needed to get involved and have a more active role in the decision making process.”
This is Richardson’s first time running for a local government position, saying, “It is. Hopefully, my first and last.”
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During a phone call with News 13, he mentioned that he was on his way to the Buncombe County office to set up a campaign finance committee. He said he’s thankful for people like Anna Stearns, who is running for Buncombe County commissioner and other people in the community who have given him advice.
When asked about changes that he’s hoping to make, Richardson said:
“I hope, in terms of looking beyond policies and procedures, that we really look at the bigger picture and try to be able to bring some creative problem-solving to the issues at hand,” Richardson said.
DEC. 8, 2025 – Black Mountain Brewing owner John Richardson addressed council members directly. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)
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He mentioned the “terrible” situation with the town’s police and fire departments. As News 13 reported in March, the departments moved out of the public safety building they’ve operated in for decades due to structural concerns.
Richardson also mentioned wanting to change the town’s mindset and how it operates.
“I feel like we’ve taken our eye off the ball in terms of what’s important and if we can bring some civility back to the town meetings so that the energy is better and it’s more a sense of community participation and willingness to work with our neighbors versus the attitude of, with which I’ve been met, which is trying to put me out of business, then I hope that’s one of the things that we can get accomplished,” Richardson said.
Black Mountain Vice Mayor Archie Pertiller, Jr. provided a statement regarding Richardson’s candidacy announcement, saying:
“It is within his right to run for Town Council, and as far as how I feel about it, I wish him well.”
Councilmember Doug Hay also provided a statement:
“It’s a positive thing whenever anyone is willing to step up and serve their community. More voices for voters to consider come election day is only a good thing, and I look forward to learning more about all the candidates over the coming months.”
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Additionally, Richardson provided an update on the dispute with the town that has evolved into a legal battle.
As News 13 previously reported, Black Mountain Brewing, along with other businesses, attended a pre-litigation meeting at the town’s request on March 18 to try and reach a resolution before any lawsuit is filed. However, no resolution was met.
In the phone call with News 13 today, Richardson said he’s in the process of filing a lawsuit against the town.
During the mediation, Richardson said the town “wasn’t willing to give any concessions towards helping to get my business back open and this is a problem that the town created and is not willing to help solve.”
