The City of Perth sacked its chief executive officer, Michelle Reynolds, following a confidential, behind-closed-doors council meeting on Tuesday night. Multiple outlets report the decision was made after the council considered a report related to claims made earlier in the year.
The reporting also places the sacking within an ongoing governance dispute. ABC states Reynolds had been suspended from her role since May. The West Australian describes a wider governance crisis and notes a new inquiry was ordered about a week earlier. Business News reports that the WA Local Government Minister wants the dismissal reviewed, through the minister’s inspector.
Outlets largely align on the timing and the fact that the meeting was secret, but they differ in emphasis. Some use critical language to frame the decision as a “witch hunt,” while others focus on the procedural and oversight steps being sought by the minister for review.
