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<\/p>\nA former council boss subject to an investigation into allegations of corruption says she denies she has acted inappropriately and looks forward to clearing her name.<\/p>\n
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has announced it is investigating former City of Parramatta Council chief executive Gail Connolly, council employees Angela Jones-Blayney and Roxanne Thornton and other unnamed staff.<\/p>\n
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Gail Connolly says she will fight the accusations. (Parramatta City Council)<\/p>\n
Allegations include that they conducted improper surveillance and investigations into staff and a councillor to benefit friends and associates and\/or as reprisal action.<\/p>\n
Their actions around sackings, redundancy payments and recruitment are also under the microscope. Operation Navarra’s first public hearing will be held May 11.<\/p>\n
In a statement to the ABC, Ms Connolly said: “I maintain I have not acted inappropriately.<\/p>\n
“That is why I welcome the opportunity to detail the facts before the Commission and clear my name.”<\/p>\n
Ms Connolly was terminated from the council’s top bureaucratic job in a split vote in October last year \u2014 two years before her contract’s end.<\/p>\n
Council office raided<\/p>\n
Her sacking came after a tumultuous period for the powerful Western Sydney council.<\/p>\n
The council’s Wentworth Street offices were raided by ICAC in broad daylight in July as part of Operation Navarra, with little known at that time about the subject of the raid.<\/p>\n
Independent councillor Kellie Darley acknowledged the speculation about the raid.<\/p>\n
“Now we can at least put that to bed and begin to address the issues identified by the commission,” she said.<\/p>\n
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The public inquiry will begin from May 11. (ABC News: Warwick Ford)<\/p>\n
In August, Cr Darley had a censure motion against her quashed in the NSW Supreme Court, with Ms Connolly among bureaucrats singled out in findings critical of the council’s conduct.<\/p>\n
Cr Darley welcomed the ICAC announcement as a “critical step towards restoring integrity and credibility at City of Parramatta Council”.<\/p>\n
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Cr Darley said.<\/p>\n
“It’s deeply disappointing it has come to this, but integrity and accountability really matter, as does council doing right by its staff and our community.”<\/p>\n
Ms Connolly was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2023 for outstanding public service to local government. She was appointed to Parramatta Council the same year after working at Georges River, Ryde, Gold Coast, Sydney and Campbelltown councils.<\/p>\n
The ABC has spoken with several former colleagues of Ms Connolly’s who commended her as a highly competent and committed administrator.<\/p>\n
Two described her as the best council head they had worked with.<\/p>\n
ICAC has previously credited Ms Connolly with referring former Georges River councillors Con Hindi and Vince Badalati to the corruption watchdog, both of whom were found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct.<\/p>\n
Ms Connolly has also proven divisive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ABC understands concerns were raised internally and externally about a series of issues, including the money spent on redundancies without council oversight.<\/p>\n
Data released by the City of Parramatta showed the council spent almost $4.3 million on redundancies between 2022 and the end of June, 2025.<\/p>\n
The ICAC investigation into Ms Connolly and other council staff is not the only probe looking at the City of Parramatta Council.<\/p>\n