‘Witch hunt’: City of Perth council sacks chief executive after confidential meeting

City of Perth chief executive Michelle Reynolds has been formally sacked following a behind-closed-doors council meeting on Tuesday night.

The council previously voted to suspend Reynolds from her duties in May following a confidential meeting by Local Government Inspector Tony Brown to discuss a report into claims levelled against the chief executive.

In a brief statement to media on Wednesday, Perth Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds (no relation to Michelle), said the move to sack the chief executive was a “significant decision” that council “did not take lightly”.

“The investigation examined a range of matter relating to Ms Reynolds’ conduct in exercising her responsibilities as chief executive officers,” he said.

“Following careful consideration of the investigation findings, and Ms Reynolds’ responses, Council determined that the substantiated findings were sufficiently serious that her employment as chief executive officer should be terminated.

“I recognise that the community will want to understand more about council’s decision.

“However, this remains a confidential employment matter and there are legal, privacy, and confidentiality obligations that limit what council can appropriately discuss publicly.”

But Michelle Reynolds said the findings of the investigation and allegations against her were “nothing but a witch hunt designed to impinge my reputation and scapegoat me by an otherwise toxic council and likely cost the rate payers handsomely”.

In a statement sent to this masthead, Michelle Reynolds said she had been shocked when she was informed of the decision late on Tuesday night via her lawyers, following a “protracted four-month investigation process”.

“It is particularly concerning that a local council presently the subject of an inquiry into their own governance issues, breaches of confidentiality and outright dysfunction, and who have been the subject of no less than 25 complaints since the start of this year, were permitted to make such an egregious decision,” she said.

“The allegations made against me are individually trivial in nature, however are alleged to collectively amount to serious misconduct. I disagree.

“The allegations and subsequent investigation process have exposed the factionalism between the views of elected members with personal agendas and the effective function of the administration of local government as a multimillion-dollar business.”

Michelle Reynolds said she held significant concerns regarding the initiation and conduct of the investigation, including the procurement process for the firm that conducted the investigation, and the conduct of certain council members.

“Those concerns include targeted leaks of confidential information to the media designed to defame me,” she said.