Mitchell County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Mitchell County: 21 seats on 7 elected bodies. 10 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Mitchell County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerSteve Pitman Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerJeff Harding Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerDale Blevins Republican source
County CommissionerLee Ellis Republican source
County CommissionerHarley Masters Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Clerk of Superior CourtJanet Cook Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of DeedsKathy Laws Republican source
SheriffDonald Street Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

School Board

Mitchell County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education MemberBrandon Pitman sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Board of Education MemberAlan English sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Board of Education MemberPam Pitman sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Board of Education MemberSam Blevins Republican source
Board of Education MemberBrenda H. Sparks Republican source

Cities and towns

Special districts

Boards elected by the voters who live in each district.

Mitchell Soil and Water Conservation District · 3 seats
OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Soil and Water Conservation District SupervisorKeith Masters sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Soil and Water Conservation District SupervisorSteve Wilson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Soil and Water Conservation District SupervisorEd Terrell source

How many local governments Mitchell County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 5 local governments in Mitchell County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships21
School districts (school boards)01
Special districts (elected boards)21

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (2 in Mitchell County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Mitchell County

14,992people
48median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,602 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$220,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.3%U.S.: 8.4%
40.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.6% · White 91% · Black 0.9% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Mitchell County

3.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
199people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,308people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
6,507in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Mitchell County 0.0%1.9%3.7%5.6%7.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.1%1996,3086,507
August 20263.4%2176,1436,360
July 20263.6%2286,0266,254
June 20263.5%2256,1276,352
May 20263.6%2316,2006,431
April 20263.7%2406,1776,417
March 20263.9%2506,2416,491
February 20264.3%2806,1586,438
January 20264.5%2846,0816,365
December 20253.6%2296,1846,413
November 20254.2%2766,2256,501
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.9%2566,2946,550
August 20254.7%2996,0916,390
July 20254.8%3056,0356,340
June 20254.9%3206,1546,474
May 20255.0%3266,1836,509
April 20255.2%3406,2366,576
March 20255.9%3956,2706,665
February 20257.6%5066,1366,642
January 20257.9%5266,1226,648
December 20247.0%4736,2696,742
November 20249.1%6156,1236,738
October 202410.3%7026,0976,799
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.3%3436,1756,518
20244.6%3136,5566,869
20233.3%2236,6386,861
20223.8%2546,3786,632
20214.8%3086,1396,447
20207.1%4445,8106,254
20194.2%2756,3246,599
20184.2%2736,2046,477
20174.9%3146,1066,420
20165.7%3726,1396,511

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. North Carolina's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Police in Mitchell County

Police staffing

2.26 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 15,056 people.
34sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Mitchell County Sheriff's Office23112,411
Spruce Pine Police Department1102,191
Bakersville Police Department00454
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025342.2613
2022322.1213
2021322.1913
2020312.0813
2019302.0113
2018291.9313
2017281.8613
2016301.9723

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Mitchell County Clerk of Superior Court?
Janet Cook (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Mitchell County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Mitchell County Register of Deeds?
Kathy Laws (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Mitchell County, North Carolina.
Who is the Mitchell County Sheriff?
Donald Street (Republican) is the Sheriff of Mitchell County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Mitchell County commissioners?
Steve Pitman (County Commissioner); Jeff Harding (County Commissioner); Dale Blevins (County Commissioner); Lee Ellis (County Commissioner); Harley Masters (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Mitchell County School Board?
Brandon Pitman (Board of Education Member); Alan English (Board of Education Member); Pam Pitman (Board of Education Member); Sam Blevins (Board of Education Member); Brenda H. Sparks (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Mitchell County?
About 14,992 people, with a median age of 48; the median household income is $57,602 and 12.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Mitchell County?
3.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 199 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,507, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Mitchell County?
5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Mitchell County?
1: Bakersville. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the NC State Board of Elections' certified results of each seat's last election (2022–2025, and the March 2026 nonpartisan school board elections); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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