Falmouth council discusses investigation into mayor over allegations of misconduct, willful neglect

FALMOUTH, Ky. — In an explosive city council meeting, Falmouth city leaders said they discussed conducting further investigation into "allegations of misconduct and/or willful neglect" against Mayor Sebastian Ernst.

Falmouth City Council had a special meeting Tuesday. Council members voted to hire special counsel, or an investigating attorney, and participated in a closed session to discuss the possible removal of a member.

That closed session lasted around two hours. No impeachment action was taken.

When council members returned, there were tense moments between them and the mayor.

At one point, council member Sabrina Hazen said Ernst had "verbally attacked" her. She pushed back on Ernst’s allegations that the council was ignoring his plans, adding that change takes time.

Council chambers were packed for the meeting. Beforehand, Ernst had posted online that council members were trying to impeach him.

"They may even try and remove me," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Elected in November 2022, Ernst took office in January. He said relations have been contentious with almost every member his entire time as mayor, but that he's been butting heads with the council for nearly a decade during his time as a council member himself.

"Seven or eight years that I've been proposing new ideas," he said.

Ernst said he feels the council likes to keep things the way they've always been and business as usual.

"That's not what the people vote for with me," he said.

A large reason his policies are never even considered is because council meetings never see community turnout, he said, and that when there's no one except him and the six council members in a room, there's no pressure to get things done.

"​It falls on deaf ears in these chambers because nobody shows up," Ernst said. "These chambers are empty every month."

That's why he said he decided to take drastic measures two weeks ago and hold a council meeting that would pack the room.

And it did.

On Nov. 21, every chair was filled as Falmouth residents listened to an impassioned speech by Ernst. Speaking for more than half an hour, he claimed the council is guilty of corruption, including ignoring criminal evidence being destroyed, ignoring illegal background checks conducted on elected officials they disagree with and covering up allegations of abuse and harassment by public employees and elected officials.

"You all came here for a show right? I'm gonna give you one," Ernst said to the room.

After making those claims, Ernst started to speak about his policies and efforts to address what he says are the main issues plaguing the city.

That's when all but one council member started to walk out of the room.

"They didn't like loud little shenanigans, but that's fine because that's what the people came to listen to," Ernst said. "That's what they came to hear. And it was the truth."

Ernst said the council has already been trying to oust him, and that he's certain what he said at the previous meeting is what prompted the council to call for a special meeting and officially start the process of impeachment.

"Two weeks ago, the mayor hijacked our city council meeting and diverted from our agenda to go on a full rant filled with allegations and personal attacks all in a rehearsed show. He is using his position as mayor as a platform for personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with him," Hazen said.

Also new to office, Hazen said she and others on the council have actually been supportive of many of Ernst's ideas, including passing his budget.

"His has also misled the public on the position of council on many topics. He even went as far as to violate the public trust by telling them the water from our city’s water treatment plant is poison and told the public to drink bottled water, then attempted to discredit the joint statement released by the Division of Water, state and local officials," Hazen said.

One of Ernst's other main policies is improving the city's water department. During the November meeting, he said PFAS chemicals are in the water supply that their treatment facility is incapable of removing.

Ernst also wants to fix the city's failing electric grid. He said it's outdated and costly and will cost more money than the city has to upgrade it.

"In 2020 we were the second highest (cost) utility provider for electric in the state of Kentucky," Ernst said.

Selling the grid to an outside company like Duke Energy or KU would net the city millions to use for infrastructure projects and significantly lower monthly electric costs for residents, he said.

"Why are we killing our town like this?" Ernst said. "We're strangling them."

"There are some things that we are still looking into like the electric grid, outsourcing or selling our electric grid, which we agreed and put out for bid," Hazen said. "Council is supporting looking into all these things."

Several members of the public chimed in throughout Tuesday’s meeting, urging council members and the mayor to get along.

"Why can't you get along?" asked one woman. "Why can't you make this work?"

According to the mayor, the next regular meeting is scheduled for Dec. 19.