The City of Ryde has been plunged into a state of administrative uncertainty following a marathon, four-hour closed-door council meeting that resulted in the immediate standing down of three of its most senior officials.
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Chief Executive Wayne Rylands, Deputy CEO Michael Galderisi, and Governance Boss Graham Humphreys have all been placed on paid leave pending an internal investigation.
While sources confirm the investigation is underway, no specific allegations of wrongdoing have been made public. Mr. Rylands, who has led the organisation since 2022, has been temporarily replaced by John Angilley, the council’s current director of business services and a former executive at the City of Parramatta.
According to the report, the decision unfolded during a high-tension Monday night meeting characterised by secrecy and procedural confusion:
- Last-Minute Notice: Metadata reveals the agenda was created just hours before the 6:30 PM start time.
- Lack of Transparency: Councillors were reportedly kept in the dark about the meeting’s purpose. “Mr. Mayor, we don’t know what the item is,” Councillor Penny Pedersen stated before the session went private.
- Extended Deliberation: The council remained in a confidential session for over four hours, adjourning at 10:51 PM without reading a resolution or providing a public summary of the discussion.
Following the meeting, automated “out of office” replies confirmed the executives’ absence. Mr. Galderisi’s email indicated a return date of April 6, while Mr. Rylands directed all inquiries to his assistant.
Despite council codes requiring resolutions from closed meetings to be made public “as soon as practicable,” official minutes have yet to be released. Mayor Trenton Brown and the 13 sitting councillors have so far declined to comment on the nature of the investigation or the sudden leadership vacuum.