Pam King steps down from Black Mountain Town Council

Elected official announces plans to move out of state

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 23, 2026

Pam King, who was reelected to the Black Mountain Town Council in November of 2024, announced, April 22, she was stepping down from her position, as she plans to move out of the state. Photo by Fred McCormick

A seat on the Black Mountain Town Council will be vacated, Friday, April 24, following the resignation announcement of a sitting member of the municipality’s governing body. 

Pam King, who was elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024, is stepping down from her position, with plans to move out of the state. 

After informing the interim town manager and staff of her decision, King, on April 22, shared a statement regarding her resignation on social media. 

“I thought I would live out the remainder of my days in Black Mountain,” she said in the announcement. “However, change happens. My husband died, and then my mother, who lived in Asheville, passed away.”

Those personal losses prompted King, who began her second term on the council in December of 2024, to consider moving closer to her adult children. 

“My sons settled with their families on the west coast of the U.S. and have been urging me to relocate to live closer to them, which is definitely appealing at this point in my life,” she said. “The time has come for me to make that decision, and I will be making a move soon.”

Serving on the town council was an “honor and a privilege,” she added. 

“I am grateful to have been elected in 2020 and then reelected in 2024,” King said. “I am proud of many things we've been able to accomplish as a municipality and as a community during very challenging circumstances.”

King’s resignation comes as the town council is searching for a new town manager, a position that has been filled by an interim administrator since last January. The town’s police and fire departments were relocated to temporary facilities last March, following an engineering report that determined the living quarters and office space in its public safety building were no longer safe for occupancy. 

“I wish everyone all the best and success in all things, including the hiring of a new town manager and continued disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts,” King said. 

Following King’s resignation, the four remaining members of the town council will appoint an eligible resident of the Town of Black Mountain who is at least 21 years old and registered to vote. Individuals interested in filling the seat can apply, through the town, to be considered for appointment. 

The council will fill the vacancy using a nomination-and-ballot method, in which elected officials, in an open meeting, will nominate citizens to fill the seat. Council members are required to write the names of nominees on ballots, which are then tallied by the town clerk. 

The appointed town council member will serve until a successor is elected to the remainder of the term in the general election, which will be held, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Full or partial terms for three seats on the town council and the office of the mayor will be decided at the polls in the fall.