BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Lawrence Lytle was appointed to Black Mountain Town Council last night and took the oath to become a full voting member.

Lytle was selected out of 10 candidates at the July 13 meeting. The election was held after former council member Doug Hay resigned during a council meeting on June 30, 2026.

The meeting was held at 6 p.m., Monday, July 13, in the Town of Black Mountain Town Hall Council Chambers, 160 Midland Ave., Black Mountain, N.C.

Meet the Black Mountain Town Council candidates

The vacancy on Black Mountain Town Council was created after former council member Hay resigned. Hay said the decision to leave was difficult to make, but a necessary one to take in order to better provide for his family.

Read more in our story: Black Mountain Town Council member resigns during budget adoption meeting

There were 10 Black Mountain residents up for election. Town law states that candidates must be at least 21 years old, registered to vote in Buncombe County and live inside of the municipal limits of Black Mountain. Applications were open between June 30 and July 10.

In Black Mountain, if a new council member is elected within 135 days of the next general election, the appointee will serve the remainder of the unexpired term. In this case, the vacancy was created on June 30, 2026, which was within 135 days of Nov. 3, 2026, the next general election. The elected candidate will serve on Black Mountain Town Council until December 2028.

In alphabetical order, the candidates were:

1. Paul Haynes – Read their application here.
2. Shane Lunsford – Read their application here.
3. Lawrence Deon Lytle – Read their application here.
4. Cheryl Milton – Read their application here.
5. Debra Norman – Read their application here.
6. Lisa Raleigh – Read their application here.
7. John Richardson – Read their application here.
8. Michael Roberts – Read their application here.
9. Sharon Tabor – Read their application here.
10. Brittany Williams – Read their application here.

Black Mountain Town Council meetings can be viewed in their entirety on the Town of Black Mountain YouTube Channel.