Ash and Cook wins unopposed

Apalachicola City Commissioner's Brenda Ash (L) & Frank Cook (R)

There were no celebrations, victory parties or speeches, in fact, there wasn’t much of a campaign either, but City Commissioner’s Brenda Ash and Frank Cook both have reasons to celebrate.  They both won reelection to another four-year term on the Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners without opposition.

Both victories were official at noon Friday, June 28, the last day for candidates to submit their paperwork to City Hall to qualify to run for either Seat 3 or 4 on the commission in the municipal fall election scheduled for September 3, 2013.

Cook first received appointment to Seat 3 on the city commission in 2007 to serve out the remaining two-years left on then city commissioner Van Johnson's four-year term whose election as Apalachicola mayor created the vacancy. 

Cook a retired submarine captain and former chair of the city’s planning and zoning commission went on to win a full four-year term during the 2009 election cycle.  He currently serves as mayor pro-tem and the city’s liaison on the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.

Ash also emerged from the five-day qualifying period, which started noon Monday, June 24, unopposed, earning herself another four years as the Seat 4, commissioner.  

New to the political arena in 2009, Ash took Seat 4 in a runoff during the municipal election that year.  A mortgage loan officer at Centennial Bank, she currently serves as finance commissioner and co-chairs the city’s economic development strategic planning committee.

City commissioners are elected at-large and earn an annual stipend of $ 5,191.20.