District 2 commission race to be decided Aug. 23 

The Franklin County commission race in District #2 in the eastern end of the county will be decided in a little over a month.

That’s because the Republican primary Aug. 23 will have three members of the GOP vying for the commission seat that represents residents of Alligator Point, Lanark Village and the eastern portion of Carrabelle. 

Because no Democrats or those with no party affiliation filed for the seat, the primary will be open to all voters within the district, regardless of party.

Running for the seat are incumbent commissioner Bert Boldt II, 76, who resides at 1 Eagle’s Way at St. James Bay; Christopher Paul Crosby, 43, of 330 Hickory Hammock Road in Carrabelle, and Cheryl Sanders, 66, who resides at 4901 Jeff Sanders Road in Carrabelle.

The job pays $28,973 per year.

The following are statements provided by the candidates to the Apalachicola Times, listed in alphabetical order.

Bert Boldt II

When I was elected as your county commissioner in Nov. 2018, I resolved to make a difference in effecting positive change for Franklin County. Since then my resolve has only gotten stronger.

With the help of involved Franklin County residents and a great county administrative staff, I’ve been able to accomplish a lot on your behalf: 

• I’m firmly convinced the health of our people is our most valuable asset. Therefore, I fought to keep Weems Memorial Hospital open and fully functional.
• I am also in discussion with Richard Lewis, Franklin County EMS director, regarding the possibility for an ambulance service to be rebased at St. James Lanark Village Fire Department.
• In addition, I initiated to have a pharmacy established at our Weems Memorial East Medical Center in Carrabelle. This is an ongoing active process.
• I’m making progress with the county attorney and state fire officials in overseeing the reorganization of St. James Lanark Village Volunteer Fire Department. This has been an understandably emotional and contentious issue that I take seriously. Plans for public organizational and orientation meetings with state fire coordinators are anticipated to begin later this month.
• I advocated to keep both airports in our community fully operational at the highest service level.
• I initiated countywide code compliance awareness workshops for the public. You who attended provided valuable input. (Thank you!) These workshops resulted in county improvements, which have accelerated the process of achieving code enforcements.
• With the help of the county staff, I’m overseeing the rebuilding of Alligator Drive. Completion estimated to be Sept. 2022.
• I authorized local paving projects for Kentucky Ave. and West Drive, and the restriping 4.2 miles of Alligator Drive
• I’m also working with the county staff to restore Island View Park. Completion estimated fall/winter 2022.
• After listening to you and reading your emails, I moved to deny the inappropriate location of the Dollar General store in the Lanark Village neighborhood.
• I have initiated a link (that will be posted on our county website in the near future) that will provide information regarding the progress of special funded restoration and building projects.

From the time I began my initial campaign in 2018 and throughout my tenure, I’ve worked hard to be present, actively engaged and accessible for all of you in District 2. I have regularly attended meetings of the Alligator Point St Teresa Association, the Lanark Village Association and both volunteer fire departments – to which I report the latest business of the county commission. 

We have a great district! The ongoing needs of District 2 folks are facilitated through the cooperation of the fine constituents who live here and the excellent county administrative staff. And we have only just begun.

These past four years, I’ve learned a lot, established excellent working relationships (at the local and state levels) and gained valuable experience which will enhance my ability to continue serving you in the next four years.

So I’m asking, once again, for your vote. 

Chris Crosby 

I am running for Franklin County Commission District 2. I guess I would call myself the “underdog candidate.” I’m not a politician and I’m running against a four-year incumbent and a 20-year commissioner coming out of retirement. 

I’ve lived in Franklin County my whole life and I am a graduate of Carrabelle High School. I have served the community as a contract firefighter and have worked for the forestry service for almost 15 years. I love our community and entered this race to be the engine of change. I am fired up over the issues that face the residents of District 2 and the county.

It’s been 24 years of combined leadership from my opponents and things are still a mess. 

• We still have no affordable housing for working families. 
• We still have a devastated seafood industry and a bay that’s closed for five years. 
• We still have a dirt road and construction on Alligator Point road four years after Hurricane Michael. While every other road in the county was fixed in months.
• We still have no fire department or EMS in the Lanark – St. James area.
• We still have a major drug problem in our county.
• We still have a school district that is in desperate need of funding.
• We still have no good jobs for much of our year-round residents.
• Healthcare is still a disaster in our county.

Our youth are leaving this county at an alarming rate, looking for a brighter future. 

Our seniors are leaving this county for quality healthcare. 

After my opponents’ combined 24 years at the helm, these issues still haven’t changed. If this was a ship in the Navy, it would be time for a new commander. 

I would like that job and I am asking for your vote for change. You have to ask yourself, am I better off now than I was four years ago? 

I am not a politician. I have no hidden agenda. I am running for all the folks in District 2 and Franklin County. I will be accessible and want to work my hardest to address these issues. 

Call, text or email me and I will return your call and try my best to help. 

I see so much possibility in our county. I am here for our locals and welcome our new residents and tourists.

Cheryl K. Sanders

I am Cheryl K. Sanders, a candidate for Franklin County Commission District 2. Our family is nine generations strong in Franklin County. I graduated Carrabelle High School in 1973 and I attended Lively Tech in Tallahassee. I am married to my soulmate Oscar and we have been married over 48 years. I am a member of the Carrabelle Methodist Church.

I was appointed to the Franklin County Planning and Zoning Board in the early to mid-1990s, and served until 1998, when I first decided to run for the county commission District 2 seat. I was elected and served five consecutive terms before retiring in 2018. I retired in 2018 because of medical issues with my husband, Oscar. Now that Oscar is better, I feel that I still have much to offer to the people of District 2 and Franklin County.

With proven leadership, knowledge and experience, I have what it takes to get the job done. During my tenure on the board of county commissioners, there were issues that came up on a daily basis. It’s not just a couple of meetings a month. It’s meeting the needs of the people and marking the best decisions you can with the information and knowledge that you have.

During my time as a commissioner, I became a certified county commissioner and an advanced certified county commissioner. I worked with different federal, state and logical agencies and other commissioners to find monies to do projects that would enhance the quality of life for the people of District 2 and Franklin County. I am able to bring to the table the best information, institutional knowledge and experience to make these crucial decisions that need to be made for you, the people.

I am not a politician; I am a public servant, always working hard to ensure the people’s needs are met, and their tax dollars are spent wisely.

Franklin County is my home, I couldn’t think of living anywhere else. When I was on the board, myself along with the other commissioners were able to do some great projects. I would like to keep working for the people and make Franklin County an even better place to live than it is now. We always need to remember where we come from, but we also need to have a vision of where we are going.

I have always said that it’s not about making promises you can’t keep; it’s about making commitments to the people.