Black Mountain Council Unanimously Appoints Richard N. Hicks Interim Town Manager

The Town Council has unanimously voted to appoint Richard N. Hicks as Interim Town Manager for the Town of Black Mountain, the town announced, and Hicks began work Jan. 20, 2026 while requesting a few days of overlap with outgoing Town Manager Josh Harrold, whose last official day was Jan. 26. Harrold had announced his resignation Dec. 10, 2025 after seven years in the role, creating an immediate management gap as the town prepares its fiscal year work.

Hicks arrives with long municipal experience described in local reports as spanning decades. One account calls it more than 40 years of experience in local government administration, and Valley Echo records say Hicks retired in 2010 after 22 years with the Town of Farmville and that this Black Mountain interim post is the 12th interim appointment he has taken since retirement, representing a reported total of 32 years of municipal service in North Carolina. The town has not published a consolidated resume clarifying the discrepancy between the two totals.

Budget work is Hicks’ top immediate priority. Black Mountain’s current fiscal year budget totals more than $19.5 million, an approximately 11% decrease from the previous year, and Hicks told Black Mountain News on Feb. 25 that Buncombe County’s property reevaluation will delay some revenue estimates but he still expects to meet the town’s end-of-June budget deadline. Hicks has asked department heads to submit budget requests, plans to meet with them, and said he hopes meetings with the Town Council will begin in March or April.

Moving federally funded recovery projects tied to Tropical Storm Helene into construction is a second near-term focus. Hicks told the Valley Echo, “Number one, is to move these FEMA projects forward… We’ve been working with FEMA a long time and we’ve put forth a lot of effort. It’s time to start some construction.” Local reporting notes the town is still working through dozens of Helene recovery projects many of which carry federal funding.

Hicks is also charged with stabilizing operations after months of scrutiny over inspections and permitting tied to a dispute involving Black Mountain Brewing. In remarks to News 13, Hicks said, “I’m only as good as my word… If you have a question or a concern, I’m going to be honest with you.” WLOS framed his role as intended “not to relitigate the past but to stabilize town operations and focus on what comes next,” and Hicks has emphasized rebuilding public and business trust through transparency, consistency and open communication.

Hicks told Valley Echo he expects to serve six to eight months while the Town Council conducts a permanent manager search with assistance from the Piedmont Triad Regional Council; other outlets report he anticipates serving at least six months. Hicks said his goal is practical: “It is my goal that by the time the new manager is here, things will be moving smoothly.” The council’s next steps will include finalizing the budget process, advancing FEMA projects to construction, and clarifying staffing needs such as the vacant finance director position during the ongoing search.