Ms Reynolds held a press conference after the sacking, labelling the council’s action as “a witch hunt” and revealing she had had no contact from the Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds during a months-long investigation into her conduct.

Ms Reynolds had been suspended since May, and maintains the allegations against her were trivial. She has reportedly vowed to challenge the decision.

Minutes record that the Council vote to terminate her employment was 5 to 2, with two councillors absent. Lord Mayor Reynolds said the termination was with immediate effect, and while it would remain a “confidential employment matter”, he said the findings were sufficiently serious to warrant the outcome.

Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley said the Local Government Inspector Tony Brown would review the dismissal process as part of his ongoing inquiry into governance at the council. WA Opposition Leader and former Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas described the decision as “outrageous”, saying he was stunned that the move was made during an ongoing inquiry in dysfunction and governance issues.