A small Kentucky town has removed its mayor from office.
Falmouth Mayor Sebastian Ernst was impeached by the city council at a special called meeting on Tuesday, according to FOX19.com. All seven council members voted to remove Ernst from office.
He was elected mayor in 2022 and has been in office since December 30, 2022.
Ernst, who was not present at the special called meeting, is accused of trying to extort Councilman Robert Pettit into resignation. He is also accused of using his personal Facebook page to conduct city business “while offering a deal on some real estate he owned,” FOX19.com reports.
Those accusations came as a result of an investigation by an attorney hired by the council to delve into Ernst’s conduct in office.
A conflict between Ernst, who retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a corporal a decade ago, and the council has been an ongoing issue for several months as Ernst accused the council of turning a blind eye to corruption. Additionally, Ernst claims the council has resisted his efforts to improve the quality of life for Falmouth residents through better infrastructure and water quality.
Ernst, who has not been criminally charged, is eligible to run for office again.
There is an appeal process available to Ernst, according to Kentucky Revised Statute 67c.143, which states in part: “Any elected officer removed from office under the provisions of this section may appeal to the Circuit Court and from there to the Court of Appeals.”
Ernst served multiple terms on the Falmouth city council prior to being elected mayor.
Falmouth is a town of approximately 2,000 residents in Pendleton County.
(Photo: Sebastian Ernst, courtesy of the Falmouth Outlook)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
