Dr. Ashleigh Barnes

for City of St. Augustine Commission

I spent my childhood across Mississippi, South Georgia, and Northeast Florida, eventually settling for middle and high school just west of the St. Johns River in Clay County. St. Augustine was always part of our lives - its beaches, history, and local restaurants.

I earned my undergraduate degree from Stetson University and my law degree from University of Florida before continuing my studies abroad, earning a master’s degree in law from Leiden University and a PhD in Australia.

After living, working, and traveling around the world, my husband and I chose to return to St. Augustine to raise our family because we truly believed there was nowhere else like it.

For the past 14 years, we have lived in Lincolnville with our three children in an 1884 home, where our kids, rescue pup, and ongoing repair projects certainly keep life full.

Professionally, I’ve worn a few hats - attorney, law professor, small business owner, and entrepreneur. Since moving to St. Augustine, I’ve focused on building businesses that help schools better support students.

As a long-term resident with children in local schools, and through my service on the Planning & Zoning Board for the past three and a half years, I’ve had a front row seat to both what people love most about St. Augustine and the very real pressures facing the city.

St. Augustine is unique because its neighborhoods and local businesses, its history and incredible coastline, all exist in such close proximity. But that also creates real pressures around flooding, mobility, infrastructure, preservation, and neighborhood compatibility in a city largely designed for horse and carriage.

As a lawyer and former professor, I learned how to handle complex issues. But as an entrepreneur, I learned that good solutions only come from truly understanding the problem - and that requires listening to the people experiencing it. You test ideas. You listen. You adjust. You listen. You keep improving because you listen.

I’m running for City Commission because I believe St. Augustine is worth the hard work of getting this right.