Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Independence Mayor & City Council Election 2026

6 of 6

council seats up

2 contests

11 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Carol FranzenCarol Franzen is an Independence City Council member who has served on the council since 2002.3sourced
Kevin Stambaugh IIKevin Stambaugh II is a candidate for mayor of Independence, Kentucky.1sourced
Greg SteffenGreg Steffen is an Independence City Council member and a candidate for mayor.5sourced

City Council · Vote for up to 6

Voters choose one mayor and up to six of the eight City Council candidates on the ballot.

3 notes on these statements

Council members Carol Franzen and Greg Steffen are candidates for mayor, and their names do not appear in the City Council contest on the ballot. Kenton County Clerk

Mayor Chris Reinersman is not seeking reelection; he is running for Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator. LINK nky · Dec 19, 2025

Council Member Greg Waite did not attend the Aug. 17, 2026 public meeting on Flock cameras. LINK nky · Aug 18, 2026

Start here

Match quiz3 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesResidential development and rezoning, Flock license plate cameras, Property tax rate Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Election Day

Tue, Nov 3, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

Residential development and rezoning

Where it standsThe council denied zoning changes for a 336-unit apartment development on KY 17 in a 4-2 vote on Aug. 3, 2026.

What's on the tableHow the next council weighs apartment and mixed-use rezoning requests that arrive with a county planning commission recommendation.

The proposal would have put 10 businesses and 336 apartments on a roughly 40-acre tract east of KY 17. LINK nky · Aug 4, 2026
The Kenton County Planning Commission recommended approval of the zoning changes in June 2026. LINK nky · Aug 4, 2026
Council Members Greg Waite and Tom Brinker were the only members to vote against the denial. LINK nky · Aug 4, 2026

Flock license plate cameras

Where it standsMayor Chris Reinersman announced Aug. 24, 2026 that the city will remove all of its Flock Safety cameras.

What's on the tableWhether the city uses automated license plate readers again, and under what limits.

Independence Police Chief Brian Ferayorni said 17 Flock devices were in use at the time of the Aug. 17, 2026 public meeting. LINK nky · Aug 18, 2026
Residents who spoke at the Aug. 17 meeting were universally opposed to the cameras, and no official action took place there. LINK nky · Aug 18, 2026
Mayor Reinersman said his own position on the cameras has not changed but that officials must respect residents' will. WCPO · Aug 24, 2026

Property tax rate

Where it standsThe council set the 2026 real estate tax rate at $0.193 per $100 of valuation, down from $0.194.

What's on the tableWhether the city keeps cutting its property tax rate while projections show a shortfall in coming years.

The tangible property tax rate stays at $0.534. LINK nky · Sep 14, 2026
Mayor Reinersman said that, projecting out five years, the new rate puts the city into the red in the coming years. LINK nky · Sep 2, 2026
The vote to pass the new rates was unanimous. LINK nky · Sep 14, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

1. How should Independence approach new residential development?
2. When the county planning commission recommends a large apartment rezoning, what should the council do?
3. What should Independence do about license plate reader cameras?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

Election DayKenton County ClerkNov 3, 2026

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 6 on this ballot

6 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Independence operates under a mayor-council form of government. LINK nky · Dec 19, 2025
The City Council is the city's primary legislative body: it institutes local laws and passes the city budget. LINK nky · Sep 27, 2024
Council members serve two-year terms, and council positions are nonpartisan. LINK nky · Sep 27, 2024
The mayor can veto laws passed by the council, but the council can vote to override the veto with a majority. LINK nky · Nov 5, 2024
Voters may vote for up to six City Council candidates and for one mayor. Kenton County Clerk

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