Western Perth council, the City of Nedlands, is in turmoil following the resignation of four councillors on the same day.
The mass exodus means the council cannot achieve a quorum, and local government minister Hannah Beazley will remove the remaining councillors and install a commissioner until elections in October.
The minister said in a statement to media that the council has long been plagued by dysfunction and disunity, and she has commenced immediate action on installing a commissioner.
Long-serving councillor Ben Hodson ended his two-decade tenure yesterday morning, citing a “consistently toxic” environment. Councillors Hengameh Amiry and Noel Youngman followed shortly after.
By the end of the day, councillor Fergus Bennett had submitted his resignation, signalling the inevitable intervention from the state government.
This week’s four resignations followed the departure of Melanie Pollard earlier in the year, with seven months of the term remaining.
The city’s website has been updated, displaying just the Mayor Fiona Argyle and three councillors as currently serving the city.
Mr Hodsdon spoke to radio 6PR during the day, describing the council environment as toxic, and expressing frustration with the council’s leadership.
He said dogmatic beliefs had prevented fair consideration of community opinions.
Meanwhile, Mayor Fiona Argyle spoke to ABC Perth Radio, and welcomed the string of resignations, describing as “a great day” and fantastic news for ratepayers.
She accused other councillors of working actively against her, and called it a great opportunity.
Mayor Argyle defended the council’s decisions, threatened to sue anyone who says anything bad about her, and suggested she might form a new political party and re-stand for election later in the year.