Updated Dec. 17, 2025, 1:03 p.m. ET
- Black Mountain Town Manager Josh Harrold announced his resignation Dec. 10.
- Harrold said his proudest accomplishment during his tenure was the town’s Tropical Storm Helene response.
- Town Council met Dec. 15 to discuss next steps in a closed session.
After the sudden resignation of Black Mountain Town Manager Josh Harrold on Dec. 10, the search for his replacement has begun.
In his resignation letter, Harrold called his time as Black Mountain’s town manager the “honor” of his professional career. He said it was not an easy decision to step away, but that his “values no longer align with the council’s values.”
“As a town manager, I think you constantly are looking at those things and trying to make sure you’re making the right decisions,” Harrold said in a Dec. 16 interview with Black Mountain News. “So really what it boils down to is work-life balance, that sort of thing, and being able to be present more for others.”
“It’s become clear to me that I need to be more present with my family and elsewhere,” Harold said. “I’m just not able to give everything I have anymore as being the manager here.”
Harrold, 45, who earned a salary of $166,171, said he doesn’t know what is next for him, but he envisions working for another municipality at some point.
He said he would “always be thankful” for the opportunities he has had in Black Mountain, where served as town manager for seven years. Harrold said in that time, the town’s response to Tropical Storm Helene stands out as his proudest accomplishment.
“The way this town came together to get through one of the worst things that could have ever happened … we pushed forward and I think we did a heck of a job while making sure folks were aware of what was going on and just continuing to build community and positivity through a terrible event,” he said.
Council member Pam King told Black Mountain News Dec. 16 she is “grateful to him for the service he provided before and after the storm.”
Council member Doug Hay also said Dec. 16 he was grateful for Harrold’s time in Black Mountain.
“He did a lot of good work and was particularly important in the days following Helene and helping us carry and work through that hardship as a town,” Hay said. “I wish him the best of luck in his search for whatever he decides to do.”
Council member Alice Berry said she too was grateful for Harrold and wishes him the best, when speaking with Black Mountain News Dec. 16.
Council member Ryan Stone told Black Mountain News Dec. 16 that while he was surprised by Harrold’s resignation, he thanks Harrold for his service to their town.
“I appreciate his professionalism,” Stone said. “From when Josh was hired until now … he’s really grown into that position and has, I think, done as well as you can.”
On Dec. 15, Town Council met in a closed session meeting to discuss the resignation and next steps, Hay announced once the meeting had reopened to the public.
Council has begun a search for an interim town manager while engaging a firm to help with the search for a permanent town manager.
A special called meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 19 to discuss the matter further. An interim will be appointed “if applicable,” according to the agenda.
Though King was out of town for the Dec. 15 meeting, she told Black Mountain News that the focus right now is finding an interim town manager.
“We’ve got to nail that down, get somebody that’s capable of leading us through this transition,” King said. “That’s a real important piece of this right now for me.”
Berry said she is not looking to be “hasty” with the process and wants “to be thoughtful about responding in a timely way to ensure that we have good, strong, effective leadership.”
Hay said it is important to him and the rest of council for this process to be transparent to “ensure that the community feels confident in both the search and the new town manager.”
Stone also said he wants the search to be an open process, with residents having input.
Vice Mayor Archie Pertiller could not be reached for comment by press time.
Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com.
