How Frankfort is run
Who runs Frankfort, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Frankfort's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Frankfort
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Frankfort city staff
The city publishes hourly pay ranges for each job in its salary schedule ordinance. We found no staff count or list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Frankfort in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.6M (2025-06-30). City of Frankfort · Mar 31, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Who provides your services
Not everything in Frankfort is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityFrankfort Police DepartmentCity of Frankfort · Mar 31, 2026
- Fire and EMSThe cityFrankfort Fire & EMSCity of Frankfort
- 911 dispatchAnother agencyFrankfort / Franklin County E911 Dispatch CenterA publicly owned center serving Frankfort and Franklin County.City of Frankfort
- SewerThe cityFrankfort Sewer DepartmentServes 15,000 customers in Frankfort, Franklin and Woodford County.City of Frankfort
- Water and electricityAnother agencyElectric & Water Plant Board of the City of FrankfortAlso runs cable TV, broadband and phone service.Electric & Water Plant Board of the City of Frankfort: FY2025 audited financial statements · Feb 23, 2026
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity of Frankfort Solid Waste DivisionCurbside service within city limits only.City of Frankfort
- StreetsThe cityCity of Frankfort Public WorksCity of Frankfort · Mar 31, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Frankfort Parks and RecreationCity of Frankfort · Mar 31, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | HendersonKY | FrankfortKY | IndependenceKY | HopkinsvilleKY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 27,822 | 28,657 | 30,198 | 30,411 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $161,814 | Not current (2023) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $14,000 |
| General fund per resident | $1,776 | $1,925 | $511 | $1,752 |
| Debt per resident | $3,774 | $2,037 | $20 | $1,780 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,686 | $1,674 | $323 | $1,591 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | — | — | 10.4 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how).
What Frankfort publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Partly: Adopted budget posted online City of Frankfort · Jun 24, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no contract. Minutes of September 25, 2023 state the hiring salary of $137,000. City of Frankfort · Sep 25, 2023
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCommission minutes list each member voting for and against on roll-call votes. City of Frankfort · Jun 22, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no readable ordinance or budget page stating the mayor's or commissioners' pay. City of Frankfort
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe salary schedule ordinance lists hourly pay ranges for each job, not individual pay. City of Frankfort · May 11, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund had $4.6 million unassigned on June 30, 2025, against a policy of three months of operating spending. How does the city measure whether it meets that policy?
- The FY2026-27 budget appropriates $55.2 million from the general fund, up from $43.1 million spent in FY2025. What drives the increase?
- The city's share of the CERS pension liability was $48.0 million in the FY2025 audit. What is the plan to pay it down?
- The city owed $58.4 million in bonds and state KIA loans on June 30, 2025, most of it for sewer. How will the remaining sewer consent judgment projects change that total?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The FY2026-27 budget was presented and had its first reading on June 22, 2026, and was adopted on second reading at a special meeting on June 24, 2026 (Ordinance No. 9, 2026 Series). See who is running for council
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