The City of Parramatta council has fired its chief executive Gail Connolly in a tense and rowdy meeting that stretched towards 11.30pm and revealed deep divisions within one of the city’s most powerful councils.

Councillors voted 9-3 on Monday night to immediately terminate Connolly’s contract, following a series of controversies first reported in this masthead including allegations that she made inappropriate remarks to staff and was negotiating to exit the organisation, and a Supreme Court judgment that found she had improperly withheld documents from councillors about the censuring of a fellow councillor.

Connolly’s termination, made while she was on an extended period of sick leave, is effective immediately. George Bounassif, who has been acting as chief executive in Connolly’s

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