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Council appoints Lowrance to vacant seat

Melinda Lowrance takes the oath as a City Council member surrounded by her husband, Jim, McKenna and Marcus Vance and Emrick and Zurie.

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 2, 2024

The Hendersonville City Council wasted no time filling the seat on the board vacated by the resignation of Debbie Roundtree, voting unanimously on Thursday evening to appoint Melinda Lowrance.

Surrounded by her husband, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, Lowrance took the oath of office immediately after the vote and took Roundtree's old seat at the council table.

“I would like to thank the City Council and all the citizens of Hendersonville who entrusted me with this duty,” she said. “I will perform to the best of my ability and expect great things out of this City Council now that I’m on board.”  

Lowrance has strong ties to the community and extensive board experience in Hendersonville and Henderson County. A member of the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment since 1998, she was one of the initial members appointed to the city’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee and serves as the vice chair of the Henderson County Social Services Board. She is also president of the Henderson County chapter of the NAACP. Under her leadership, the NAACP partnered with the Henderson County Education Foundation’s ‘Grow Our Own Educators’ scholarship program aimed at increasing opportunities for students of color to pursue teaching careers in their own community. 

Lowrance has owned and operated Mop Head Cleaning Service for 35 years and is a life member of the Star Lite Chapter #510 Order of the Eastern Star and a pastor steward, chair of the Trustee Board for St. Paul Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church, president of the Hendersonville District Lay Council and first vice president of the Blue Ridge Conference Lay Council. She also serves as a member of the Rotary E-Club of Global Trekkers and the League of Women Voters.

City Manager John Connet said before the meeting the duration of Lowrance's term is up in the air because of two options. The county Board of Elections could accept signups for the seat to a filing period in July — one is already set for a vacant seat on the Saluda Board of Commissioners — for the Nov. 5 election. However, the option the City Council prefers is for Lowrance to serve out Roundtree's full term, which would have expired in December 2026. Connet has made contact with state Sen. Tim Moffitt, who sponsored the legislation that moved City Council elections from odd to even years, to file a bill setting the election for November 2026.

EARLIER COVERAGE:

Melinda Lowrance, who has been active in community service and on city and county advisory boards for many years, is likely to fill the seat on the Hendersonville City Council made vacant by the resignation of Debbie Roundtree.

City Manager John Connet said last week council members have agreed informally to appoint Lowrance, possibly as soon as this week’s council meeting. What’s unclear at the moment is when Roundtree’s former seat would be up for election. That could be as early as November if the state set a new filing period, or in November 2026. The term for the seat expires in December 2026. Connet and Henderson County Board of Elections officials will receive guidance on the process from the state Board of Elections this week.

Lowrance has served as chair of the city Zoning Board of Adjustment, on the city Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the county Board of Social Services and is president of the local chapter of the NAACP. She has owned Mop Head Cleaning Service for 35 years.

“I'm willing to serve because I think maybe I can bring something to the table that will benefit the citizens from my experience being on city boards and county boards and just dealing with the public in general,” she said in an interview Monday. “I would like to see concentrating on mental health and opioids and affordable housing. I think I can bring a fresh perspective to this.”

She was also invited to participate in the North Carolina Leadership Forum’s study of affordable housing. She said she would have voted yes on a rezoning to allow 60 affordable apartments for seniors on Greenville Highway at Chadwick Avenue.

“There is a growing population of senior citizens — I'm included,” she said. “But I also think we need to consider affordable housing for the working class, especially our educators and our law enforcement, health workers. We're losing them because they can't afford to live here.”

Lowrance said she worries about Hendersonville’s growth.

“I just think we need to slow down the growth,” she said. “I think we’re growing a little too fast.”