Law firm Mills Oakley has been contracted by the City of Perth to investigate allegations about suspended chief executive Michelle Reynolds.
Law firm Mills Oakley has been contracted by the City of Perth to investigate allegations about suspended chief executive Michelle Reynolds.
It comes after the Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds and councillors were put on notice by local government inspector Tony Brown over ongoing dysfunction.
Soon after the inspector informed the council of his decision, councillors went into a closed-door meeting and voted to suspend Ms Reynolds and engage Mills Oakley to look into a range of issues provided to them.
It’s understood a number of current and former employees had complained about the chief executive to Carol Adams, a former Kwinana mayor installed to monitor the council.
A report late last year, found the council was heading towards a crisis, like in 2018, when the council was suspended.
When Business News asked Mr Brown’s office, Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley and the City of Perth if Mills Oakley were now hired to investigate the claims about the chief executive, none would answer the question.
“Due to confidentiality, I am unable to comment on these matters,” the minister said.
“As these matters are ongoing and pertain to confidential personnel and governance matters, no comment will be made,” a spokesperson for the city said.
Mr Brown said that “employee issues within local governments are a matter for the administration and elected council”.
In a statement to Business News, Ms Reynolds said she was still unclear as to why she had been suspended on Tuesday night.
“I’m not able to comment in any detail because I have not yet been given any specific information,” she said.
“But speaking generally, it’s not surprising that some people over the last six years may have been less than happy with how the city’s reform program (following the previous inquiry) impacted their daily routines. I understand that many complaints stem from that period.”
Some councillors tried to engage Mills Oakley last year to review issues at the council, but they were thwarted because they botched the process.
The law firm was to be paid $125,000.
On Wednesday both Ms Beazley and her colleague and Member for Perth John Carey described the council’s conduct in recent months as “diabolical” and “unbelievable”.
They criticised the councillors for trying to push through improvements to their travel, accommodation and hospitality entitlements.
"The pettiness, the infighting, the immaturity by the council is galling,” Mr Carey said.
“At a time of a cost-of-living crisis, they're fighting over whether they get additional payments for travel."
Ms Beazley said local government needed a reset and again raised the prospect of amalgamations.
