Black Mountain Town Council member Bill Christy has resigned from his position citing “medical challenges,” effective Sept. 13.
In his resignation letter, Christy said he was resigning “in the interests of” Black Mountain residents and in order to focus on his health.
“This is not a decision I take lightly,” Christy said in the letter. “I will greatly miss working with the current Town Council members – Pam (King), Archie (Pertiller), Doug (Hay) and Alice (Berry) – and value the relationships that I have built, as well as working with Mayor Sobol.”
Christy was first appointed to the council in 2021. He was then elected in the 2022 election.
In an email announcing Christy’s resignation, Town Manager Josh Harrold said the town will follow the same process as when Christy was appointed to find a successor.
Harrold said this process starts with those interested completing and sending in notice of interest forms, that can be found both in Town Hall and on the town website. All forms should be sent to Harrold at josh.harrold@tobm.org.
The council will use a nomination/ballot method to appoint a new council member at a future meeting that has not yet been determined. The individual elected will serve until November 2024. At that point, the seat will be up for a two-year elected term. In November 2026, the seat will be up for election once again, this time for the usual four-year term.
In his letter, Christy said “it has been a high honor to serve on the Town Council of Black Mountain.” He said he enjoyed working with town staff and is “proud” of the work the council did to support them.
Harrold told Black Mountain News that Christy was “great” to work with on the council and he always had others in mind.
“He always had the employees in mind, the citizens in mind,” Harrold said. “He was a very reasonable council member and real easy to get along with.”
Mayor Michael Sobol said that although he and Christy may not have always agreed on everything, he wishes Christy the best.
“He and I had differences, but honest men can disagree,” Sobol said. “I think he had the best interest of the town at heart.”
Council member Alice Berry agreed that Christy was always working in the interest of the town.
“I really enjoyed working with Bill and respect the expertise and perspective that he brought to our work together,” Berry said. “I think he was really dedicated to the town and dedicated to being a good collaborator on the council.”
Council member Doug Hay also pointed to Christy’s expertise, specifically in law, as an asset to the town.
“It’s just been an absolute pleasure working with him,” Hay said. “His connections to the community were a real asset to the council, and he’ll be missed.”
Council member Pam King said Christy contributed to “thoughtful discussion” on issues that were brought before council, even if they did not vote the same way.
“I think the world of Bill Christy,” King said. “He is a thoughtful man. He always asks great questions, was reasonable.”
In his resignation letter, Christy said he looks forward to supporting his successor.
“I am proud of the record that we have established that supports the staff with competitive pay and a positive work environment,” Christy wrote in his letter. “I am confident that we are in good hands and look forward to supporting my successor.”