Candidates for Frankfort City Commissioners vie for a seat on the Commission in a nonpartisan race. Thus, they do not declare which political party with which they are registered, Democrat or Republican.
Candidate Dawn Hale is seeking one of the 4 open seats on the Board of Commissioners. Click here for more information about Hale's background and campaign issues. Click this link for more information about the role of the Board of Commissioners and other candidates.
Together Frankfort sent questionnaires to all candidates for Frankfort Board of Commissions. Voters can select up to four (4) of the six (6) candidates on the ballot. Of the city commission candidates on the ballot, Candidates Dawn Hale, Kelly May, Kyle Thompson, and Katrisha Waldridge responded. Candidates J.C. Karsner and Leesa Unger did not.
Kentucky's 2022 General Election
Franklin County, Kentucky
What Did Candidate Dawn Hale Tell Us?
How did the candidates reply to the questions? Together Frankfort asked questions concerning the six (6) issue areas below:
1. Quality of life (including both economic and environmental issues, planning & zoning, and Tax Increment Financing)
2. Voting
3. Gun Violence
4. Campaign Contributions
5. Healthcare and
6. Housing
Questions from Together Frankfort are in purple text; candidates' response are in black.
Together Frankfort: Quality of Life for All Citizens
Together Frankfort: What proposals would you make to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Frankfort and Franklin County?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Quality of life issues are one of the cornerstones of my campaign. Every major survey I have seen shows quality of life as one of the top issues for businesses looking to relocate. We must address these issues to keep our citizens and attract new people and businesses.
Although we might disagree on some specifics, there seems to be agreement that we need more recreational opportunities, dining, shopping, entertainment options, and modernized infrastructure.
These issues are too big for the city or county to address alone. I will work to bring all the stakeholders together, get real community input and build a consensus. This doesn’t have to take years if we talk with one another and work together for the benefit of the entire community.
Together Frankfort: Describe your vision for sustainable economic growth in Franklin County.
Candidate Dawn Hale: For too long, we have been a “company town.” It is just that our company is State government. We will never go back to the days of growth in state government and be able to rely on the occupational tax that grows along with it. Frankfort has relied on State government for too long. We need to expand the tax base by bringing new business and industry to Frankfort.
The city needs to work with existing businesses to find out what the city does to impede its success and remove obstacles wherever possible. We must apply what we learn from our existing businesses to help attract new companies. We are also going to need to increase our housing stock to give people moving to Frankfort a place to live. Subdivision regulations need to be evaluated to see if they can be more efficient and less costly for developers.
Together Frankfort: What could our community do to address climate change?
Candidate Dawn Hale: The people of Frankfort can do more than the City Commission at this point. The city can provide education and promote things like recycling, energy efficiency, and reducing our carbon footprint so that citizens understand that addressing climate change does not have to be expensive or inconvenient.
Together Frankfort: What are your priorities for Planning and Zoning?
Candidate Dawn Hale: We need to ensure that the members of Planning and Zoning represent the community as a whole, not just one sector, geographic area, or ideology.
We also need a complete review of Planning and Zoning regulations to ensure they reflect 21st Century needs and concerns and that we are not doing this because “that’s the way we have always done it.”
Together Frankfort: In what circumstances would you support using Tax Increment Financing (TIF)?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is designed to promote long-term economic growth. More can and should be done to properly vet these proposals to ensure that taxpayers are getting their money’s worth from these investments. I would support TIFs that meet or exceed these vetting standards.
~~~~~ Voting ~~~~~
Together Frankfort: Only 33% of eligible Franklin County voters participated in the last election and that was considered a good turnout. What do you think can be done to increase voter turnout and engagement?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Between COVID and legislative changes, there have been a lot of changes in how we vote in recent years. The number one thing we can do is educate voters better about their options. That is why I am investing a significant part of my campaign budget in educating voters about their options. https://dawnhale.com/frankfort-votes
Together Frankfort: What is your opinion about election security in Franklin County?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Kentucky and Franklin County have invested a lot in election security in the past few years and are doing a great job in making sure our elections are secure. But there remains a lot of misinformation, especially on social media, so more could be done to inform voters and refute unfounded rumors.
~~~~~ Gun Violence ~~~~~
Together Frankfort: What specific measures do you believe could reduce gun violence in Kentucky and if elected, what would you do to make sure those measures are put in place?
Candidate Dawn Hale: There is very little we can do legislatively at a city level. Still, I was part of the Community Policing Advisory Board in the 90’s and it helped to reduce all kinds of crime in South Frankfort by putting officers on the ground in the neighborhood. I will work to promote Community Oriented Policing throughout Frankfort.
Together Frankfort: Suicides account for 66% of all gun deaths in Kentucky. Do you have proposals that would reduce those deaths?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Again there is very little we can do legislatively at a city level, but I would support expanding mental health opportunities in schools and elsewhere in the community. I also think that Community Policing could positively impact this as well.
Together Frankfort: The federal government has just passed legislation that would send money to Kentucky for gun violence prevention--specifically for enacting a red flag law or something similar. How would you propose to spend that money to prevent gun violence in our commonwealth?
Candidate Dawn Hale: I would hope that some federal money can be used for expanding Community Oriented Policing.
~~~~~ Campaign Contributions ~~~~~
Together Frankfort: What is your position on Dark Money?
Candidate Dawn Hale: I will not accept dark money.
Together Frankfort: Will you identify all contributors to your campaign, including those who contribute to political action committees that support you?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Yes
~~~~~ Health Care ~~~~~
Together Frankfort: What is your position on reproductive health care for women and Constitutional Amendment #2?
Candidate Dawn Hale: I am voting NO! The government has no role in personal, private medical decisions.
Together Frankfort: What is your position on expanding mental health care in Franklin County?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Expanding mental healthcare, especially addiction-related treatment, is critical. Law enforcement personnel and attorneys I know tell me that drug and mental health issues represent nearly all of the criminal activity in Frankfort.
Not only is helping people in need the right thing to do, but it will also save taxpayer money in the long run. We can not incarcerate our way out of these issues.
~~~~~ Housing ~~~~~
Together Frankfort: Would you, if elected, tackle our affordable housing crisis by: supporting a city/county ordinance that adopts the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act (URLTA) to define the rights of renting citizens and families and landlords, and follow the lead of other towns and cities follow the lead of other towns and cities by adopting regulations on Airbnb and other short-term rentals?
Candidate Dawn Hale: Yes, I would URLTA. It’s good for landlords and tenants and would encourage people to live in Frankfort.
Frankfort is not the same as Louisville, New York, or Chicago. I would be open to regulations on Airbnb and other short-term rentals, but they would need to be suitable for Frankfort and not a much larger city that faces different issues.
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Together Frankfort expresses our sincere appreciation to Candidate Hale, along with other City Commission Candidates May, Waldridge and Thompson, for responding to the questionnaire. For further information about Candidate Hale's responses to these questions, or her thoughts on other issues, her contact information is:
E-mail: dawnhale704@gmail.com