Carol Franzen is one of three candidates for Independence’s mayor’s seat. The current Mayor, Chris Reinersman, is not running for reelection. In November, Franzen will face fellow City Council Member Greg Steffen and newcomer Kevin Stambaugh II.
Franzen has lived in the city for about 30 years and has served on the council since 2002. She’s also the head swim coach at Simon Kenton High School, a longtime volunteer at Kenton County Animal Services and has been active with her church and various civic organizations.
“As a fiscally conservative leader, I firmly believe it is the government’s essential responsibility to be a diligent steward of taxpayer money,” Franzen said. “My priorities for Independence include ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace with our growth and maintaining public safety as a paramount concern, notably through a well staffed and highly trained police department. I also aim to keep supporting our excellent public works department.”
Additionally, Franzen said, she wanted to focus on growth that brought better employment opportunities for the community.
“I advocate for managing growth while simultaneously implementing economic development strategies focused on attracting quality employers and services to suitable locations that positively impact the broader community,” Franzen said.
Independence uses a strong mayor form of government, meaning the mayor has broad discretion over city operations and personnel, though the position cannot vote on legislation except to break a tie.