Call for Ministerial Action on City of Perth Leadership

UPDATE 23/09/26

INSPECTOR’S INQUIRY INTO CITY OF PERTH COUNCIL COMMENCES - COUNCIL TERMINATES CEO'S EMPLOYMENT 

There have now been significant further developments at the City of Perth which, in my view, reinforce why this petition and the community’s concerns regarding the leadership of the City must not be ignored.

On 21 September 2026, a formal inquiry by Local Government Inspector Tony Brown commenced into the operations and affairs of the City of Perth.

The inquiry follows an approximately six-month monitoring process and will examine matters including governance, decision-making, accountability and the effective functioning of Council.

When announcing the inquiry, the Local Government Inspector publicly stated that there were “fractured working relationships and ongoing governance issues” at the City of Perth.

The inquiry is expected to run for approximately 12 weeks.

Then, at a Special Council Meeting held on the evening of 22 September 2026, Council resolved to terminate the employment of CEO Michelle Reynolds, effective immediately.

This decision was formally announced by Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds on 23 September 2026.

The timing of these events raises serious questions for ratepayers.

CEO Michelle Reynolds had already been absent from her position since 19 May 2026.

Despite the CEO not being at the helm of the organisation for approximately four months, the Local Government Inspector subsequently determined recently that there remained fractured working relationships and ongoing governance issues significant enough to warrant a formal inquiry into the City.

For petition supporters, this raises an important question:

If the governance problems and dysfunction continued while the CEO was absent, how can the CEO reasonably be portrayed as the source of the broader dysfunction occurring within the Council?

The community should also note that Minister for Local Government Hannah Beazley has stated that the Local Government Inspector will review the process which led to the termination of Ms Reynolds’ employment as part of his inquiry into the City.

This is occurring after months of monitoring, intervention and significant public concern regarding the governance and functioning of Western Australia’s capital city council.

In my view, enough is enough.

This petition represents a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds and Deputy Lord Mayor David Goncalves.

It reflects the concerns of residents and ratepayers who believe confidence in the current leadership has been seriously eroded and who are seeking decisive intervention from the State Government.

The issue is now much bigger than the employment of one CEO.

The fundamental question is whether the City of Perth is being governed with the stability, accountability, transparency and professionalism expected of the capital city of Western Australia.

The fact that governance concerns have continued during the CEO’s prolonged absence is particularly significant.

The community should not be expected to simply wait through another cycle of dysfunction, investigations, legal costs and governance intervention while confidence in the City continues to deteriorate.

Something must change.

I am therefore continuing to call on Minister for Local Government Hannah Beazley to consider every power available to her following the Inspector’s inquiry and to take decisive action where the evidence and findings support it.

I am also calling for complete transparency regarding:

• the circumstances and process surrounding the termination of CEO Michelle Reynolds;
• the governance issues identified through the monitoring process;
• the 12 remedial actions directed by the Local Government Inspector;
• the findings of the current Inspector’s Inquiry; and
• the total financial cost to ratepayers arising from the continuing governance problems at the City of Perth.

This petition will remain open.

If you have lost confidence in the leadership of the City of Perth and believe Western Australia’s capital city deserves stable, accountable and transparent governance, you may add your name to the petition and make your views known.

Ratepayers deserve answers.
Ratepayers deserve accountability.
And the City of Perth deserves stability.