Black Mountain council unanimously honors outgoing town manager Josh Harold
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Summary
The Black Mountain Town Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing town manager Josh Harold’s leadership through Hurricane Helene, digital upgrades, environmental initiatives and more, and noted an interim manager will begin overlap with Harold later this month.
The Black Mountain Town Council adopted a unanimous resolution recognizing town manager Josh Harold for his service from 2018 to 2026, citing leadership during hurricane response, modernization projects and environmental stewardship.
The resolution, read into the record by a council member, credited Harold with guiding the town through emergency response after Hurricane Helene, instituting a stormwater utility and completing several digital upgrades including new accounting software, searchable document storage and a revised town website. The resolution also cited regional awards and professional leadership roles earned during his tenure and listed a $35,000,000 total in grant awards for water, stormwater and parks projects secured under his administration.
Resident David Bilstrom praised the town’s leadership in public comment: "I want to thank the town leadership for doing this kind of work and making sure it's done right," he said, citing staff efforts in storm response and grant work. Other residents and volunteers also spoke in support; Libba Fairley told the council, "Josh, thank you," for helping community projects such as pickleball courts and holiday beautification efforts.
Council members moved to adopt the resolution, the motion was seconded and the council approved it by voice vote; the minutes record the action as unanimous.
The council also noted an administrative transition: Richard Hicks has been appointed interim town manager and is scheduled to begin an overlap with Harold on Jan. 20 to assist with transition duties.