Rutherford County Manager Steve Garrison Resigns

Rutherford County Manager Steve Garrison will leave his position early next year, closing nearly 11 years as the county’s top administrator.

In an email to county employees dated Dec. 17, Garrison, 62, said his last day with Rutherford County will be Feb. 3, 2026. He said he had been considering retirement, but the timing aligns with the start of his new state job in February.

Garrison thanked county staff for their work and cited accomplishments including new libraries and EMS facilities, economic development construction projects, use of opioid settlement funds, and collaboration with municipalities, the tourism development authority, and nonprofits.

The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners must formally accept his resignation at its January meeting. Under North Carolina law, the board, not voters, elects the county manager and is responsible for naming an interim manager when a vacancy occurs.

According to state statute, commissioners may designate the chairman or another commissioner as interim manager, assign the duties to an existing county employee, or appoint a qualified individual from outside county staff. The interim manager serves until a permanent replacement is hired. The county manager is the chief administrator of county government and is typically the highest-paid county employee, overseeing daily operations, supervising departments, and preparing and administering the county budget under the board’s direction.

Commission Chairman Bryan King is expected to serve as acting county manager unless the board chooses another option.

Garrison’s departure comes as the county commission itself is in transition. Three sitting commissioners have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Those commissioners will remain in office and retain full authority — including decisions on interim or permanent county management — until newly elected commissioners take office following the 2026 election. Candidate filing for that election closes Dec. 19.

When Garrison was hired in 2015, King said the board believed Garrison brought “a professional understanding of how all county functions operate together” and called him “an exceptional leader for our county.”

Garrison, a lifelong Western North Carolina resident, previously served as Madison County manager and worked in multiple roles across county government in Madison, Buncombe and Polk counties. He began work as Rutherford County manager on March 16, 2015.

His tenure included major capital projects as well as controversy, including criticism over disaster debris removal decisions and a widely noted hot-mic incident during a public meeting.

County commissioners have not announced a timeline for naming an interim manager or beginning a search for a permanent replacement.