City of Frankfort Elected Offices
Frankfort's Local Elected Officials - Duties & Responsibilities
In Kentucky, a city has one of three basic organizational structures:
Mayor-aldermen (limited to cities of the first class) or mayor-council;
Commission; and
City manager.
Regardless of the plan a city chooses, all cities possess the same broad powers, those granted by home rule (KRS 82.082).
Frankfort has, by ordinance, adopted the City Manager Plan. Click on the link to read Frankfort's governing ordinance.
City Manager Plan. This form of city government provides for a mayor and four commissioners, who together make up the board of commissioners, which possesses the legislative and executive powers of the city. The City Manager Plan is different from others in that it vests the administrative powers in an appointed official called the city manager (KRS 83A.150). Click here to learn more about the work of Frankfort's city manager, Laura Hagg.
All executive power vests in the board of city commissioners. The only duty of the mayor outside the position as a member of the board is to administer oaths & to make and execute all bonds, notes, contracts, & written obligations that the board authorizes. As a member of the board, the mayor is the presiding officer (KRS 83A.150.
Frankfort City Board Of Commissioners
The board of commissioners is composed of 4 commissioners and the mayor (KRS 83A.020). The board of commissioners sets qualifications for the manager, who is the chief administrative officer of the city and exercises the following executive powers and whatever other powers may be delegated by ordinance.
Frankfort's City Manager:
shall have direct responsibility to the board for the proper administration of duties;
shall recommend personnel decisions;
may appoint persons to temporary positions without approval of the board subject to such conditions as the board may impose;
shall prepare and submit a budget proposal ;
shall keep the board advised of financial condition of the city & make recommendations as deemed advisable.
City of Frankfort's 2023 Board of Commissioners
Six candidates, listed below, were on the ballot running for Frankfort's Board of Commissioners. Click on the candidate's name to read their responses to Together Frankfort's questionnaire:
.
*J.C. Karsner
*Leesa Unger
The candidates listed below were elected in November 2022 to serve on Frankfort's 2023 Board of Commissioners. The office of city commissioner is nonpartisan - candidates do not declare their political party affiliation.
Incumbent commissioners Kelly May, Leesa Unger, and Katrisha Waldridge were all reelected, with the fourth spot on the board going to former Commissioner Kyle Thompson. Kelly May, who — if tradition holds — will be serving in his first term as Mayor Pro Tem.
- 1. Kelly May (incumbent): 4,596 votes
2. Katrisha Waldridge (Incumbent): 4,317 votes
3. Leesa Unger (Incumbent): 4,276 votes
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4. Kyle Thompson: 3,609 votes
- * Denotes that the candidate did not respond to Together Frankfort's questionnaire.
General County Election - Franklin County & Frankfort Elected Officials
Elected Tuesday, November 8, 2022
In Kentucky's May 2002 Primary Elections, voters decided which Republican or which Democrat moved forward in races where there were two or more of the same party running for the office. In some races, only one Republican or one Democrat filed for the office, so there was no primary in that race - the respective party's candidate moved forward into the fall election.
This page focuses on only those elections for Franklin County local government - city and county elections, not those for the Kentucky legislature nor those for the U.S. Congress. For more information about each of the six District Magistrate officials, a link is provided for more information about the district and the person elected.
Franklin County Officials Elected November 2022
The governing body of Franklin County consists of a Fiscal Court. The Fiscal Court is comprised of the County Judge Executive (click link to website of County Judge Executive), elected at large by voters of the entire county, and six (6) magistrates, elected by voters of the corresponding district (map below).
Members of Fiscal Court are elected on a four year term. Thus, those elected in November will be sworn in, holding the office until 2026. Click here for a link to the 6 current magistrates.