Carol graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 1993 and earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science with an area of concentration in Public Administration.

Staff Directory • Carol Franzen

Carol and her husband Mark have three sons who are all graduates of Simon Kenton High School.

Carol is an active member of Independence Christian Church where she currently serves as an elder. She has also been the head boys and girls swim coach at SK since 2012.

Carol Franzen earned a bachelor's degree in political science, with a concentration in public administration, from Northern Kentucky University in 1993. She and her husband, Mark, have three sons, and she serves as an elder at Independence Christian Church.

Carol Franzen - Directory - Independence, KY

Carol Franzen works as the head coach for the boys' and girls' swim teams at SK.

Carol works as the head coach for the boys' and girls' swim teams at SK.

Carol has been a resident of Independence since 1997 and was first elected to City Council in 2003. She is currently serving her 12th term on the council.

Carol Franzen was first elected to City Council in 2003 and is serving her 12th term.

Carol was first elected to City Council in 2003 and is serving her 12th term.

2026 Kentucky General Election

As of September 15, 2026, Carol Franzen did not have a website or any information online.

Education

QUESTION (for incumbents): What do you see are the main issues facing your city?

Carol Franzen: As the city continues to grow we need to make sure we have smart growth to maintain the small town feel we currently have. Obviously commercial and industrial growth is good for a community to keep taxes low for its residents but, doing it in a controlled smart manner helps maintain the community feel we have here in Independence. Growth is good but letting it explode without any thought for the future is a great way for the city to lose its “cozy” feel.

Candidates for Independence City Council answer questions - LINK nky

Advocates for controlled commercial and industrial growth to preserve Independence's small-town character.

- Advocates for controlled commercial and industrial growth to preserve Independence's small-town character.

Housing & Urban Development

QUESTION (for incumbents): What do you see are the main issues facing your city?

Carol Franzen: As the city continues to grow we need to make sure we have smart growth to maintain the small town feel we currently have. Obviously commercial and industrial growth is good for a community to keep taxes low for its residents but, doing it in a controlled smart manner helps maintain the community feel we have here in Independence. Growth is good but letting it explode without any thought for the future is a great way for the city to lose its “cozy” feel.
As all cities around the nation are struggling with hiring and keeping police, it is important that we value and support our police officers and stay competitive with compensation and other benefits to maintain the officers we have but to also attract other officers to work here. We have made several steps recently that has brought our police force back to almost full staff but now the goal is keep them here.
Pay is very competitive right now throughout Northern Kentucky and we must remain competitive with those cities. We have a great police force and it is important to keep it that way.

Supports competitive police compensation and benefits to retain and recruit officers.

- Supports competitive police compensation and benefits to retain and recruit officers.

Public Safety

Franzen consulted the city of Wilder, which has had a splash pad for a number of years, and listed the plus-and-minus features on a slide presentation at the regular council meeting Monday night. She recommended a smaller size splash pad instead of a larger one and told council she did like a rock wall or something to sit on. She also highly recommended a fence surrounding the splash pad so they could close the area if they needed to for safety or sanitary purposes.

Government briefs: Independence talks splash pad, Erlanger lauds railroad underpass fixes - NKyTribune

Franzen consulted the city of Wilder, which has had a splash pad for a number of years, and listed the plus-and-minus features on a slide presentation at the regular council meeting Monday night. She recommended a smaller size splash pad instead of a larger one and told council she did like a rock wall or something to sit on. She also highly recommended a fence surrounding the splash pad so they could close the area if they needed to for safety or sanitary purposes.
She thought a recycled water splash pad would be the most efficient for Independence. More discussion was held on engineering and location for the splash pad.

Recommended a smaller, fenced splash pad and said recycled water would be the most efficient option.

- Recommended a smaller, fenced splash pad and said recycled water would be the most efficient option.

Public Services

QUESTION (for incumbents): What do you see are the main issues facing your city?

Carol Franzen: As the city continues to grow we need to make sure we have smart growth to maintain the small town feel we currently have. Obviously commercial and industrial growth is good for a community to keep taxes low for its residents but, doing it in a controlled smart manner helps maintain the community feel we have here in Independence. Growth is good but letting it explode without any thought for the future is a great way for the city to lose its “cozy” feel.
As all cities around the nation are struggling with hiring and keeping police, it is important that we value and support our police officers and stay competitive with compensation and other benefits to maintain the officers we have but to also attract other officers to work here. We have made several steps recently that has brought our police force back to almost full staff but now the goal is keep them here.
Pay is very competitive right now throughout Northern Kentucky and we must remain competitive with those cities. We have a great police force and it is important to keep it that way.
Road repair is always an issue in our community. We have many city streets and we are always adding more and it is important to stay on top of road repair and constantly review plans and update street surveys to make sure we have the funds to repair roads most in need.

QUESTION (for incumbents): What projects would you like to see accomplished while you are on council?

Carol Franzen: I would like to see the completion of the Cody Road bridge. We have plans in place to replace the culvert so the bridge will flood less often and to also repave that section of road. I also want to see the completion of the industrial park on 536 as well as the One Holland Project on the corners of 16 and 17.

Prioritizes road repair based on updated street surveys and available funding.

Wants to complete the Cody Road bridge project, replace its culvert to reduce flooding, and repave the road.

- Prioritizes road repair based on updated street surveys and available funding.
- Wants to complete the Cody Road bridge project, replace its culvert to reduce flooding, and repave the road.

Transportation & Infrastructure

QUESTION (for incumbents): What projects would you like to see accomplished while you are on council?

Carol Franzen: I would like to see the completion of the Cody Road bridge. We have plans in place to replace the culvert so the bridge will flood less often and to also repave that section of road. I also want to see the completion of the industrial park on 536 as well as the One Holland Project on the corners of 16 and 17.
It is one of my goals to see the undeveloped commercial property we have in this city be developed by business that will bring advantages to the community. One focus is the shopping center at Cherokee on Taylor Mill Road. It is my goal to see thriving business that will serve the community as well as be good neighbors to the citizens that live behind it. Something more than storage or warehouse type businesses. Businesses that will serve the community needs like shopping and restaurants.

Wants commercial development at Cherokee on Taylor Mill Road that includes community-serving shops and restaurants rather than storage or warehouses.

- Wants commercial development at Cherokee on Taylor Mill Road that includes community-serving shops and restaurants rather than storage or warehouses.

Economy

Carol Franzen

As of September 15, 2026, Carol Franzen’s website did not contain information on this issue.

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- The duties of the mayor depend on the type of government within the city, 
- If the city has a mayor-council form of government, the mayor is responsible for the executive and administrative functions of the government. They oversee all city departments, but cannot vote in most council matters. 
- If the city has a mayor-aldermen form of government, the mayor is responsible for executing and enforcing local and state laws. The mayor may appoint city officials with approval from the aldermen. 
- If the city has a mayor-commission form of government, the mayor presides over the city commissioners and can vote within the commission. The mayor is responsible for executing all decisions reached by the commission. 
- If the city has a city manager form of government, the mayor presides over the city commissioners and can vote within the commission. The mayor is recognized as the head of the city department but does not have any regular administrative duties. 
- City mayors are elected during general elections for a four-year term. Most cities in Kentucky hold nonpartisan elections for mayor. 