April 10 marks one year since controversial, now suspended Mayor Troy Thompson sworn into Townsville City Council

One year on from the swearing in of now suspended Mayor Troy Thompson, Townsville City Council have said their focus for the next 12 months is “a united front” to deliver for the people of Townsville.

Townsville City Council meeting September 4, 2024. Mayor Troy Thompson. Picture: Evan Morgan

Twelve months on from the swearing in of now suspended Mayor Troy Thompson, the city still has no idea what the future holds.

Mr Thompson remains under investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission, and continues to be paid his $225,000-a-year salary with no end date in sight for the investigation.

On March 10, 2024, Mr Thompson stepped into the highest office in the city and opened himself up to intense scrutiny touting himself as a transparent and accountable candidate.

It began to unravel for Mr Thompson after Anzac Day, where his placement of medals on the right side sparked questions over his military service claims.

From there, it snowballed for Mr Thompson, with it also revealed he did not complete university degrees, despite stating during the campaign that he had

Since, he has faced intense scrutiny from the government and media, being asked to stand down from his position on November 21, 2024.

The council has been trying to pick up the pieces and repair the city’s reputation ever since.

Townsville City Council Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney.

Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said the council’s focus for the next 12 months was a “united front” to deliver for the people of Townsville.

She said it was “no secret” that the 12 months has been challenging, not only for the council but the whole community.

“The first twelve months of any new council can be a time of adjustment, and navigating disruption and uncertainty has tested our resilience and focus,” Cr Greaney said.

“Together, we’ve shown that commitment and hard work can overcome many challenges.

“The lessons of the past year have only strengthened our resolve. Now more than ever, working together as a council is critical — and we are united in our focus on respect, collaboration, and delivering for the people of Townsville.”

Cr Greaney said looking ahead, the immediate priority for the council was to deliver a budget that was “stable, responsible and aligned with Townsville’s long-term needs”.

The budget is expected to be delivered in June.

Last year’s budget caught the ire of residents, with the council voting to adopt paid parking on The Strand (which has now been put on hold), increasing rates and reducing discounts.

Embattled Townsville mayor Troy Thompson when he returned to work. Picture: Evan Morgan

How it unfolded

Announcing his run for Mayor in late February 2024, the disendorsed former One Nation candidate built a campaign on the ideas of “accountability” and “transparency”.

Mr Thompson was sworn in at Townsville City Council chambers on April 10, 2024 as the 47th mayor of Townsville after receiving 46.6 per cent of the vote.

Mayor since 2012, Jenny Hill, received 43.86 per cent, with more than 30 per cent of the electorate not voting.

There were some big changes following Mr Thompson’s swearing in, with Chief Executive Officer Prins Ralston resigning just two days later.

During his political campaigning he labelled himself as a “business graduate and former soldier”, but these claims began to unravel when he attended Townsville’s Anzac Day Dawn Service displaying none of his own medals.

When asked by the Townsville Bulletin if he could recall his service number, Mr Thompson said “I actually don’t remember”.

Investigations soon began with the Office of the independent Assessor beginning to look into his military history, with Mr Thompson finally unveiling his service number of May 23 which revealed he misled voters into believing he had served five years in the army and SAS.

The OIA referred Mr Thompson to Crime and Corruption Commission on May 28.

An interview with A Current Affair was shown to the nation on May 30, where he blamed his “100 plus concussions” on the reason for his “poor memory”.

He also admitted to never completing two degrees, including one in business.

A majority of Townsville City Councillors have called on Troy Thompson to resign or be suspended at the next council meeting. Photo: Daniel Shirkie.

The day after the interview, the rest of the councillors stood shoulder to shoulder in the council forecourt, with Suzy Batkovic announcing to the media that they were calling on Mr Thompson to stand down.

Mr Thompson began a leave of absence on June 5 after the show of no confidence from the councillors, stating he would not return until the CCC investigation was finalised.

He returned to work a month later, where he barred the media from the council meeting on July 3.

After acting CEO Joe McCabe was brought into council in September, tensions between him and Mr Thompson began to grow, with the Mayor accusing him of misconduct in a social media rant, which Mr McCabe strongly rejected.

Local Government Minister at the time, Meaghan Scanlon, said she would appoint a special adviser to deal with the conflict within the council, with then-Opposition leader David Crisafulli calling for an examination of the Local Government Act.

In late September, Premier at the time Steven Miles said he was seeking legal advice on how to remove Mr Thompson just before the government went into caretaker mode ahead of the 2024 state election.

A ‘show-cause’ notice was issued by Minister Meaghan Scanlon giving Mr Thompson three weeks to prove why he should be allowed to continue as Mayor.

It was announced on November 21, 2024 by newly-appointed Local Government Minister Ann Leahy that Mr Thompson had been suspended from his position for 12 months on full pay of more than $225,000 per year.

A cartoon by Harry Bruce.

Ms Leahy said at the time that it was a “win for the residents of Townsville”.

After the announcement, Deputy Mayor Paul Jacob stepped into the position but rumours began to swirl that other councillors wanted him to be replaced, with word Division 3 councillor Ann-Maree Greaney was keen on the role.

On December 17, Ms Greaney was appointed the new Deputy Mayor which meant she also became Acting Mayor while Mr Thompson was still suspended.

It was announced that she would be paid the Deputy Mayor salary during her time in the role.

Despite being removed from the role, Mr Thompson remained very vocal on his Facebook page, commenting on the going-abouts of the council, the “incompetency” of the council, as well as asking his followers to vote in polls including questions such as “should fluoride be in the city’s water” and “should the Townsville Bulletin stop printing?”.

The posts became consistent enough for Mr McCabe to call for a halt to the “damaging” rants.

He said in a statement in January that council staff were being overloaded with emails and phone calls, after Mr Thompson posted council and councillors’ contact details urging them to reach out with their complaints.

Mr McCabe said at the time the social media posts were “not productive”.

“It is not helpful and it is harmful for our city’s unity and reputation,” he said.

The first council meeting of 2025 began with acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney anticipating a “fast-paced and busy year ahead”.

During general business discussions at the end of the meeting, Cr Paul Jacob called for an investigation into staff culture.

He noted the resignation of multiple senior staff over the last 10 months since the election of council.

Townsville City Council special meeting December 17, 2024. CEO Joe McCabe. Picture: Evan Morgan

Chief executive Joe McCabe said a three-month culture survey was already in the works, to be conducted soon.

While Mr Thompson has become more quiet in his social media commentary in 2025, he regularly posts footy tipping competitions and conducts gift-card giveaways on a weekly basis.

He has advised that the vouchers and prizes are coming out of his own pocket.

His latest dig at the council was a poll conducted on March 27, which asked if the Townsville City Council should be placed into administration.

It is understood the CCC are yet to make any findings from their investigation into Mr Thompson and no action has been taken.

The CCC said it recognised the “important role media plays in promoting transparency and accountability in government and public institutions”.

“The CCC also recognises the need to balance the public’s right to information with the need to protect the integrity of investigations and the privacy of individuals involved.”

The CCC said it would not confirm, or comment, on any complaint, investigation, or referrals to other agencies or matters before the court.

Originally published as April 10 marks one year since controversial, now suspended Mayor Troy Thompson sworn into Townsville City Council