(1) The Governor may remove a member of the board for any of the following reasons:
(a) Refusal or inability of a board member to perform his duties as a member of the board in an efficient, responsible and professional manner;
(b) Misuse of the office by a member of the board to obtain personal, pecuniary, or material gain or advantage for himself or another;
(c) Willful violation of any provision of KRS Chapter 315 or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder.
(2) Any person may file a complaint with the executive director of the board against a board member alleging specific facts which constitute grounds for removal from the board. The executive director shall transmit a copy of any such complaint to the Governor, the president of the board and the accused board member. Upon a written recommendation of the Governor or two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the board, a hearing shall be conducted before an impartial hearing officer pursuant to KRS Chapter 13B.
(3) The hearing officer shall submit a transcript of the hearing to the Governor with a recommendation based on evidence presented in the hearing. The Governor shall review the transcript to determine if the evidence supports the recommendation, and he shall enter a finding in accordance with such determination.
(4) In the event a board member is removed, his removal shall be effective as of the date of the Governor's finding and a vacancy shall be deemed to exist. Any board member so removed shall be entitled to appeal the removal in the Franklin Circuit Court.