Franklin commission retains planning administrator pending outside review of hiring, emails

FRANKLIN, Ky. – The Franklin City Commission voted 4-1 Monday to allow Planning and Zoning Administrator, Carter Munday, to remain in his position while an independent third party reviews questions surrounding his hiring and emails criticizing residents.

The vote follows an acknowledgment from City Manager, Kenton Powell, that Munday’s appointment was never formally approved by the commission after the city split from the joint Franklin-Simpson Planning and Zoning office last year.

“I want to express my sincere apologies to the Mayor and Commissioners for my oversight in not having the City Commission officially approve Carter Munday as the City’s Planning & Zoning Administrator,” Powell wrote in a Jan. 29 memo to commissioners.

Commissioner Kelly Bush said the issue centers on the lack of a formal vote.

“So basically, you know, during this entire time, we’ve not had a planning and zoning administrator legally hired, appointed by the commissioners,” Bush said.

Powell wrote that Munday’s salary was included in the city’s 2025-2026 budget and that Munday had been working in the role and receiving pay and benefits. He attributed the situation to an oversight amid the transition to a city-run department.

The matter gained additional attention after emails obtained through an open records request surfaced. In one email dated Oct. 23, 2025, Munday wrote, “The people that interrupted the whole night was a complete embarrassment… just plain embarrassment to our community.” In another, he described meeting attendees as a “huge display of the paid activist.”

Kristin Bailey Wilson, who identified herself as a concerned citizen, said she requested the emails after questioning Munday’s testimony related to a proposed data center development.

“I learned that Carter Monday was you know, not only calling the public names like embarrassing and likening liking us to paid activists,” Wilson said.

Wilson also tied the controversy to the proposed data center and potential power plant development, saying, “The power plant could be the biggest in Kentucky if this goes if this happens.”

Commissioners opted not to immediately ratify Munday’s hiring retroactively. Instead, they voted to seek an outside review.

“So what we did today is we were having a third party… investigate it and then get and wait for the recommendations to see if any, any ethics violations were, you know, offended or anything illegal,” Commissioner Dale McCreary said.

Simpson County Judge-Executive Mason Barnes said the commission will wait for the outside review before determining next steps.

“I guess we’ll wait and see what the verdict is from the attorney that they get to weigh in on whether they can retroactively hire someone or what are the emails… have been something that have been a breach of, you know, community trust or public trust,” Barnes said.

The commission has not yet selected the outside law firm that will conduct the review.

In other business, officials discussed letters of support for two economic development projects. Barnes said Project Cowboy is “like an offshoot for the Trader Joe’s distribution center here… it is a baking facility that will be providing goods to Trader Joe’s for distribution.” He said Project Targa “is a business that repairs, automobile transport, rail cars.”

The commission also discussed a potential Safe Haven Baby Box at an emergency services building.

At the close of the meeting, Powell announced he plans to resign later this year. McCreary said the announcement was unexpected.

“It was complete blindside. I had no idea,” McCreary said.

The independent review into Munday’s hiring and the emails is expected to move forward in the soon.