FALMOUTH, KY — A former Falmouth mayor who was arrested during a dispute with city officials and later impeached is seeking a return to office in November.
Sebastian Ernst, who was elected mayor in 2022, is challenging Richard Mineer, a former city council member and fiscal court magistrate, in the upcoming mayoral election.
Ernst says he wants to focus on city finances, infrastructure and community restoration projects if elected again.
WATCH: Former Falmouth mayor Sebastian Ernst seeks return to office after impeachment
“I think my work speaks for itself down here. I've done a lot to invest in this community,” Ernst said.
Ernst served about a year as mayor before tensions with city council members escalated. He was arrested on a trespassing charge after an incident at a city council meeting. The charge was later dropped.
In 2024, Ernst was impeached. He subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against the city and won a $120,000 settlement.
Ernst maintains his impeachment was politically motivated and says he wants to change how the city allocates its resources.
“My impeachment was erroneous. It was pure political theater to try to get people to not listen to what I'm saying on the issues,” Ernst said.
He argues the city has devoted too much of its budget to police and fire services while neglecting other community needs, including streets, sidewalks, parks and public spaces.
“It's all about resource allocation,” Ernst said. “Unfortunately, we've been spending the overwhelming majority of our budget on police and fire, and we're not putting anything towards the community as far as streets and sidewalks and parks and public spaces and things like that.”
Ernst says improving the city's finances and investing in those projects would be priorities if he returns to office.
His challenger, Mineer, has outlined a different set of priorities on Facebook. He says he wants to reduce housing and utility costs, encourage small-business growth and find better ways to mitigate flooding.
Mineer also says he would work to bring stability to the community, promote transparency and address residents' needs.
WCPO 9 reached out to Mineer for comment and heard back late Thursday.
He said he wants to bring respect back to city hall, reduce infighting among council and county government and bring back the small-town feel.
The November election will give Falmouth voters a choice between Ernst, who is seeking a return to the mayor's office after a contentious first term, and Mineer, a longtime local public servant who says he wants to focus on affordability, economic development and community stability.
