Cole’s wife to fill council seat

By Abe Nelson

Published: April 10, 2008

The Haymarket Town Council voted Monday to appoint Ellie Cole to fill the seat left vacant after the resignation of her husband John C. Cole.

John Cole, who is in Iraq as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense, resigned his seat as vice mayor soon after he arrived in Baghdad, saying matters in the town needed the attention of a full council.

He is running for re-election May 6. If he wins, a recent ruling by the Virginia General Assembly would allow him to be sworn into office while he's still in Iraq.

Ellie Cole said her husband is due back in early August.

In the meantime, Ellie Cole will try to keep to her husband's intent for the town's direction. She's sure he'll be re-elected.

"My main motivation was to ensure that the vision that he had for Haymarket and all that he had done in his term did not disintegrate," Ellie Cole said."I felt like everything he had done I agreed with, and I felt he was representing what most of the town's people wanted and that that should continue to go forward. So I submitted my name."

The Haymarket council chose her from a pool of six applicants.

Council members Oswald Vazquez, Susan Shuryn and Natasha Sikorsky voted in favor of her appointment.

Council members Sheila L. Jarboe and Robert B Weir voted against the appointment.

She was sworn in Monday night by Prince William Circuit Court Clerk Michelle McQuigg.

Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751 or .