Seat 4 on the St. Augustine city commission is open this year, as incumbent commissioner Cynthia Garris ran for the Seat 3/Mayor position, and was automatically elected when nobody else qualified for the race. Ashleigh Barnes got more than 50% of the vote in the August primary, defeating the other two candidates without the race needing to go to the general election.
News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES |
Ashleigh Barnes
Occupation: Attorney & Small Business Owner
Age: 46
Family: I live in Lincolnville with my husband and three kids.
Education: Stetson University (BA); University of Florida (law - JD); Leiden University (LLM); Australian National University (PhD)
Political experience: I have served on the City’s Planning and Zoning Board for 3.5 years.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Strong Neighborhoods
When neighborhoods and local businesses are thoughtfully compatible, they create a sense of community that makes St. Augustine special.
Accessible Downtown
A downtown that is safe, welcoming, and easy to navigate — works better for residents, workers, local businesses, and visitors alike.
Resilient Infrastructure
Prioritizing flooding, stormwater, drainage, streets, sidewalks, and long-term planning to protect our historic coastal city.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I bring a combination of experience that is different from anyone else running for this office.
As an attorney and former law professor, I am trained to work through complex issues, weigh competing interests, and make decisions grounded in facts, law, and long-term consequences. As a small business owner, I know how to adapt in an ever-changing environment, make practical decisions, and stay focused on what actually works. And as a startup founder, I understand how to build a long-term vision while taking the urgent, concrete steps every day to move toward it.
But one of the most important lessons I have learned is that you cannot solve a problem well unless you listen first. You listen, you create a solution, you test it, you listen again, you adapt, and you keep improving. Listening is not something that happens once at the beginning of a process. It has to happen at every step.
I also bring direct experience serving St. Augustine. For the last 3.5 years, I have served on the City’s Planning & Zoning Board, hearing hundreds of applications from across the city. That work has required me to review staff reports, apply the Comprehensive Plan and City ordinances, listen to residents, applicants, business owners, preservation advocates, engineers, planners, and neighbors, and make decisions that affect the daily life and long-term future of St. Augustine.
That matters because the City Commission is not an entry-level position. Voters deserve someone who can serve on day one with preparation, independence, judgment, and a deep respect for the people who live and work here.
I can help voters by bringing both experience and a fresh approach: strong neighborhoods, an accessible downtown, resilient infrastructure, and a city government that listens carefully, acts thoughtfully, and keeps improving.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered for helping St. Augustine become a city that works better for the people who live, work, and build their lives here — while protecting the character that makes it special.
That means stronger neighborhoods where residents, local businesses, and public spaces are thoughtfully compatible. It means a downtown that is safer, more welcoming, and easier to navigate for residents, workers, businesses, and visitors. And it means real progress on resilient infrastructure — flooding, stormwater, drainage, streets, sidewalks, and long-term planning for a historic coastal city.
But I would also hope to be remembered for how I served: by listening carefully, doing the homework, asking better questions, and making decisions with independence, preparation, and judgment.
St. Augustine faces complex challenges. I do not think success will come from one big promise or one simple fix. It will come from steady, thoughtful work: listening to residents and businesses, testing solutions, adapting when needed, and taking the urgent small steps every day that move us toward a stronger future.
If I serve, I hope people will say that I helped bring a fresh approach to City Hall — one rooted in service, focused on results, and committed to helping St. Augustine truly thrive.
Campaign website: www.ashleigh-barnes.com