John Richardson is serious about standing up for Black Mountain businesses
Town council candidate emphasizes leadership, accountability and transparency in campaign for ‘common sense’ government
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 5, 2026
John Richardson is one of four candidates vying for two, four-year terms on the Black Mountain Town Council in the Nov. 3 election. Photo by Fred McCormick
This profile is one of a series examining the priorities of candidates running for office in the Town of Black Mountain this fall. In-person early voting for the Buncombe County General Election will be open Oct. 15 - 31, with election day held, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Anything seemed possible for John Richardson back in 2011, when he opened the doors to his first business on Cherry Street. The son of a Presbyterian minister and lifelong seasonal resident of the Swannanoa Valley was optimistic about the future of the town he chose to call his full-time home in 2006.
Those feelings began to change when the former owner of the Ale House, who continues to operate Black Mountain Brewing while working to revive the RailYard, became ensnared in a public dispute with local government officials, resulting in two pending lawsuits and a campaign for local government. Richardson will be one of four candidates on the ballot, Tuesday, Nov. 3, when local voter elect two, four-year terms on the Black Mountain Town Council.
“My experience with the town these last few years has led me to believe that we are in serious trouble if things don’t change,” said Richardson, who is among a pair of business partnership groups that filed separate civil complaints against the Town of Black Mountain earlier this year. “I want Black Mountain to continue being the amazing place that I know it is.”
Richardson acknowledges the appearance of friction between his ongoing litigation and candidacy for the municipality named in the complaints, along with former and current employees.
“I love this town so much, and I know there is no reason my situation should have ever gotten to this point, if there had been any leadership from either the town administration or town council,” he said. “That led me to a situation in which I feel like we, as a town, have to have someone with common sense stand up, so we don’t repeat these mistakes. I still see them being repeated, which is such a waste of time, energy and resources, especially when there are so many other issues we should be focused on right now.”
Ongoing litigation, he added, will not prevent him from fulfilling his duties, if elected this fall.
“The legal process will handle itself, and I won’t really be involved in that,” Richardson said. “But, in terms of repeating the mistakes that happened with me, I see that as a core reason I have to run for town council, and why residents should consider voting for me.”
From community partner to ‘enemy of the town’
The majority of Richardson’s experience with the Town of Black Mountain was positive over the course of more than a decade. Employees were accessible and communicative, while seemingly working toward a common goal with business owners, based on his experiences.
“If there was ever an issue, I could have a conversation with someone about it and work towards a common sense solution,” he said.
The relationship began showing signs of stress in 2024, shortly after he opened the RailYard at the intersection of Richardson Boulevard and Sutton Avenue. In August of 2025, the town erected a fence along portions of the perimeter of the property, citing the owner’s attempt to prevent parking on the vacant lot, which it classified a public safety hazard, as ineffective. The following December, the town issued a press release addressing “rumors” the municipality was “targeting a business or retaliating against individuals who speak publicly,” after code enforcement measures effectively closed the upper deck and top floor of Black Mountain Brewing.
While the town removed the fence earlier this year, Richardson has been consistent in his public criticism of behavior and judgment displayed by town officials, while pursuing recourse through the legal system.
“In the current climate, I feel the codes have been weaponized, and there has been open hostility towards me, as a business owner,” he said. “I’ve been treated like an enemy of the state, as opposed to a partner in the community.”
He characterizes his experience with the municipality as symptomatic of a “toxic culture” within some departments. The issue represents the most prominent threat to the future of the town, according to the candidate.
“Unfortunately, it’s due to a lack of leadership from our town council, which has not only allowed this culture to develop, but empowered it,” Richardson said. “I voted for some of these folks, and they ran on transparency, open communication and working together. I feel like they failed across the board.”
The posture of the town, he continued, stands in contrast to the ethos of the community it serves.
“I’ve always been a community builder, and back when I was bartending at the old Watershed, I started to find community in the people who support our downtown businesses,” Richardson said. “I opened the Ale House because I wanted to create a ‘third place.’ The whole idea was to give the community somewhere to come together. Anyone who spends time with the people here quickly understands what a special place Black Mountain is.”
John Richardson speaks, Sept. 24, in a Town Council candidate forum, hosted by the Black Mountain Center for the Arts and presented by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Fred McCormick
Protect what we love
The charm and small town character of Black Mountain were determining factors in Richardson’s choice to live, raise a family and operate businesses in the town. Those qualities have helped drive growth and support a thriving local business community, according to Richardson, and are worth preserving.
“My daughter just started kindergarten, and I want Black Mountain to continue being the amazing place I know that it is,” he said. “But, based on my interactions with the previous town administration and council, we can not continue to treat our neighbors the way we are treating each other. If we do, we can’t expect this to be the same town we all know and love.”
The tone and lack of clarity of communication from the town has created distrust within the local business community, according to the candidate.
“I feel like considering what I’ve faced, as a business owner, it would lead me to warn anyone against doing business in this town,” Richardson said. “Right now, we have small business owners in this town who are afraid to work with the town. This is a major problem.”
He attributes the dynamic to insufficient leadership by elected officials.
“We need a long-term vision, because it doesn’t seem like we have a plan,” Richardson said. “For too long, it feels like we’ve been wasting time. We need to focus on things like the public safety building and golf course, so we can look at bigger picture things like infrastructure, or our downtown.”
What he labels a divisive culture inside some town offices is an obstacle to progress, including Helene recovery and meaningfully addressing financial concerns.
“We have all of these much bigger issues, like the town’s financial standing, Helene recovery projects that have yet to be completed and the public works building,” Richardson said. “We are not going to get out of this by ourselves. Things are so messed up that we need help.”
Continued conflict between government employees, elected officials and citizens comes with potential long-term ramifications, as the municipality searches for a permanent town manager, he added.
“Our culture is so bad, and it has become such a toxic environment, who is going to want to come in and help us start moving forward?” Richardson said. “When you have staff that treat local business owners the way we have seen here in recent years, who is going to want to step into the middle of that?”
Establishing and encouraging a healthy and welcoming culture within all town departments will position the future town manager for success, according to the candidate.
“We need to fix what is broken. That includes our finances, all of the broken relationships, the fire and police stations and the toxic culture that has been created,” he said. “Protect what we love, fix what is broken and then we all need to work together towards what the future could be. That requires vision.”
A more engaged town
As a longtime downtown business owner, Richardson interacts with a large cross-section of the public on a daily basis. He speaks regularly to local merchants, members of his church, employees and customers.
His decision to open a bar in a basement in 2011, months before town residents voted in favor of a referendum to allow establishments within the town to sell cocktails, was informed by feedback he received from local residents.
“Bringing the community together in a place where friends and neighbors are running into each other and catching up, or visitors come meet and interact with locals, is something I thought I could do for this town,” he said. “That whole time, I had a corporate job, as well. But, one of my main goals in business has been to create places where everybody feels welcome.”
In 2020, the Ale House provided free meals to residents as the country navigated the early impacts of the pandemic. In 2024, Richardson offered the RailYard property to serve as a large relief hub that distributed free meals and other aid to disaster victims. That service-minded approach is one he shares with many in the community.
“Black Mountain is a special place. Anybody who has ever been here feels it, and it’s a big part of what makes living here so special,” he said. “There is a certain culture of hospitality, collaboration and support in this community, and I think the town government should reflect that.”
Despite speaking openly about his disagreements with town officials, Richardson believes he can establish a healthy working relationship with fellow council members, if he is elected.
“It’s critically important to have a business person, specifically a small business owner from the town, on the board,” he said. “It’s business. So, we have to set our emotions aside and make sound financial and business decisions for the town. That’s one thing I feel has been missing, is a town council willing to provide guidance.”
Richardson hopes to bring experience as a community builder and leader to the town council.
“I think we need council members who are engaged with the community, and specifically the business community,” he said. “I feel like my actions, in helping to build this town over the last 16 years, are a testimony to how much I love this place.”