What would happen if Anthony Piagentini is removed from Louisville Metro Council?
The Louisville Metro Council is set to weigh Councilman Anthony Piagentini’s removal from office, following a recommendation from the council’s Charging Committee released at the end of November.
If he is removed — which Piagentini said he does not believe will happen — Jefferson County will see a new process to fill his seat because of state legislation passed in 2023.
New laws for council removals
Last year three Metro councilors vacated their seats to pursue other jobs. Former councilmembers David James and Keisha Dorsey joined Mayor Greenberg’s administration, while Cassie Chambers Armstrong was elected to fill the State Senate seat formerly held by U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey.
The other councilors — not voters — selected their replacements in accordance with state law, which Councilman Jecorey Arthur criticized as being "undemocratic."
Last March, the state passed a bill requiring elections for open Metro Council seats.
If Piagentini is removed more than three months before the next regular election, Metro Council President Markus Winkler would have to declare the seat officially vacant and file a writ of election within 24 hours after the announcement. Prospective candidates for the District 19 seat would have 10 days to file their petitions of nomination with the Jefferson County Clerk's Office.
The special election would occur on the first Tuesday 60 days after the vacancy announcement.
The legislation also makes clear that candidates do not have to run as a Democrat or Republican. They can be an independent or a "member of another political organization."
District 19 has been represented by Republicans since the Metro Council's inception over 20 years ago, including Piagentini, who has served as the representative since 2019.
If removed, Piagentini would not be eligible to run again until the end of his vacated term. For Piagentini, that would be Jan. 4, 2027 — meaning that he would be prohibited from entering the special election.
How did we get here?
Piagentini has been accused of using his position to land a $40 million grant for the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, which then hired him as a consultant at $240,000 a year. Piagentini and the Healthcare CEO Council have both denied there was any deal for him to get the job.
But after a public trial, the Ethics Commission found Piagentini in violation of six ethics charges.
Piagentini has adamantly pushed back against the ruling — even filing an appeal to Jefferson Circuit Court and saying the ruling lacked "clear and convincing evidence."
The Ethics Commission cannot remove Piagentini from office, though. That power lies with the Metro Council.
Members of the council's Democratic caucus requested the creation of the Charging Committee — the first step in the removal process — at the end of October. Soon, the full Metro Council will sit "as a court" and act as a jury over another public hearing.
How would Piagentini be removed from office?
Two-thirds of the council would have to vote for Piagentini to be removed.
There are 26 members of Metro Council, including Piagentini. Eighteen people will be required to vote "yes" for removal, Sarah Martin, the civil division director for Jefferson County attorney Mike O'Connell, previously told The Courier Journal. Piagentini will not receive a vote.
Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@courier-journal.com or at @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Anthony Piagentini's removal from Metro Council would force election
