Costs to deal with City of Perth council behaviour jumps 15-fold in just one year

Alarming figures have revealed the harsh reality of being a ratepayer in WA’s capital city, with a 15-fold increase in payments to deal with ongoing dysfunction. In a document obtained by The West Australian, figures expose a staggering blowout in City of Perth spending as the organisation continues to grapple with infighting and governance issues that prompted the State Government to appoint a independent monitor earlier this year. The document shows the city has spent more than $80,000 on costs relating to elected member complaints during the 2025-26 year alone, almost 16 times more than the $5,637.84 spent the previous year. General legal costs also relating to elected members and council has also surged, rising from $14,430 in 2024-25 to $40,004.17 in 2025-26. City staff have said only the general legal costs should be compared over the two years, as legal costs relating to elected members were highly variable and depended on the scope, nature, and complexity of matters. Unfortunately, for City of Perth ratepayers the costs don’t stop there. A psychosocial risk assessment set back the city $129,428, and the services provided by monitor Carol Adams are expected to cost more than $50,000 — although the city is yet to receive the invoice. Ms Adams, who was sent to the city on January 19 after escalating concerns around the council’s governance and culture, was at the city three days a week over a five-month period at a cost of $900 a day. Altogether, the city’s spending in relation to complaints, legal costs, intervention and governance complaints ballooned from $20,067 in 2024-25 to an estimated over $300,000 in 2025-26. In the documents, administration warn that the cost figures are provided for “general transparency only”. “They are combined at a high level and shouldn’t be used to draw conclusions about specific matters, individuals or circumstances,” it said. “They are not intended to assign fault or responsibility. “Difference is costs can happen for a range of reasons, such as changes in processes, the complexity of matters, or the use of independent reviews, and should be considered in that broader context.” Ms Adams concluded her appointment on June 19 and is now preparing her final report for Local Government Inspector Tony Brown, who will determine if any further action should be taken. Mr Brown recently told the council it was ‘on notice’ and had until June 19 to clean up its act.