Driving to the Capitol on a cool morning, Frankfort Mayor William May, better known as Bill, points out the grade school he attended as a boy and gestures toward places where relatives once lived.
He waves to pedestrians along the way, even receiving a salute from a passing police officer.
When Bill became mayor, he followed the footsteps of his great-great-great-grandfather, the first mayor of Frankfort.
Bill, the eldest of three, was born to a car salesman and a stay-at-home mother. In his early years, Bill played with his siblings on the old Capitol grounds, he says.
His family had been in the town for decades. Now his family has grown to include the town.
“Only days after his mayorship started, Bill knocked on our door and asked to ride along with us,” says Fire Department Captain Sean Caldwell.
“I wanted to understand their needs and learn what their lives were like,” Bill says.
Now in his 23rd year as mayor, Bill still visits the departments of police, fire and emergency.
“I’m always getting accused of playing favorites,” he says. “police or fire, just like I say to my kids – I love you all the same.”
Early on, his signature as mayor excluded his passion for music.
“I wasn’t sure if a mayor should play drums,” says Bill who got his first drums at age 12 and majored in music along with business in college. “I felt a great deal of relief once I allowed myself to express my creativity.”
He has allowed more of his creative side to infiltrate his public role.
“Music and art are a part of vibrancy and innovation,” he says. “I want this to be a city that fosters such things.”
