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The City of Perth has backtracked on policy changes that would have seen council members offered additional perks related to travel and accommodation.
Following a dressing-down from Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley last week – and having been put “on notice” by Local Government Inspector Tony Brown – councillors voted on Tuesday to support the staff recommendation against the additional perks, originally suggested by the city’s policy, legislation and governance committee.
At the committee’s meeting in April, members including Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds, Deputy Lord Mayor David Goncalves and councillors Lisa Ma, Liam Gobbert and Viktor Ko backed a list of changes to council member entitlements.
These included having two nights accommodation before overseas events instead of one – as proposed by staff – event tickets that come to administration to be offered to elected members first, and powers relating to the chief executive be adjusted.
However, in a report to council ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, city staff said the committee’ recommendations were not supported by the administration as they “are either invalid, exceed council’s legal authority, represent poor governance, inappropriately enable personal benefits to accrue to elected members, and/or introduce unnecessary risk”.
The report warned some of the recommendations relating to reimbursements, travel accommodation and use of staff time to support private travel arrangements would “likely have an unquantified financial impact”.
Staff proposed removing accommodation from the list of expenses council members would be entitled to, and specified that while travel and food and drink could get reimbursed, airfares and alcohol were not included.
The recommendation also tightened international accommodation to only one night prior to an overseas event.
Councillor Raj Doshi was the only member to vote against the alternate motion to support the staff recommendations.
Beazley made her thoughts on the proposed perks clear at a press conference last week.
“I don’t think they should be doing it anyway, but to be doing so at a time where they’re under close scrutiny, they have a monitor in place, and then they’re making decisions that could potentially give them more entitlements in a situation where the community isn’t even thinking that they’re functioning well,” she said.
“The elected members have taken a tone-deaf and a let-them-eat-cake approach and put their own self-interest and sense of entitlements ahead of anything else amidst a cost of living and housing crisis.”
City of Perth council was officially put on notice by Brown at a behind-closed-doors meeting on May 19.
The inspector is probing more than a dozen complaints relating to the city’s chief executive Michelle Reynolds, which were laid bare at the meeting.
Following that meeting, Michelle Reynolds went on leave, and she was noticeably absent from Tuesday night’s meeting.
Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds – no relation to Michelle Reynolds – addressed the elephant in the room.
“I want to acknowledge a great deal has happened since we last met in this chamber and as you will appreciate these matters relate to confidential personnel and governance processes, and for that reason I am unable to comment further other than confirm that a full and proper process is under way,” he said.
“What I can and will say is that we had a constructive meeting with a local government inspector last week, we have taken his feedback very seriously, and I’m confident that we will continue to improve in the areas identified before the monitor leaves us on the 19th of June.
“I want to reassure our community that council continues to function highly as it should.
“We are respectful to one another. We engage in healthy debate, and we do remain focused on making the formal decisions necessary to govern and operate a successful capital city.”
Bruce Reynolds went on to spruik the council’s achievements over in recent years, including implementing the FOGO bin system, planting more trees, and its Containers for Change program.
Despite saying he wouldn’t comment on the matter further, several members of the public put questions to council on the issue.
“Noting public reports that the CEO has been suspended pending investigation, will the city establish and publicly advertise a clear confidential pathway for employees, elected members and members of the public to provide evidence or complaints or relevant information to the investigation?” Stuart Chapman asked.
Loretta Boni posed her question to the mayor.
“I understand you’ve made a formal declaration, but given the significant recent developments concerning the CEO’s reported suspension, for full transparency purposes, could you please publicly outline the governance process followed in relation to; the decision-making, how the decision was reached, whether external legal governance or consultancy costs have been incurred, or are anticipated the estimated financial impact if any to the City of Perth ratepayers,” she asked.
All the questions from the meeting were taken on notice.
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