The Oban Times

Trio say farewell as they step down from council

- By Sandy Neil sneil@obantimes.co.uk

Argyll and Bute Council’s departing depute provost has said ‘it is time for councillor­s to take back more control from officials’, as he and three other retiring local councillor­s bade their farewells.

Oban South and the Isles Councillor Roddy McCuish, who spent 15 years on the council including two spells as its leader, is not seeking re-election when the area goes to the polls on Thursday May 5.

Councillor McCuish said: ‘I would like to see more power to local area committees to allow locally-elected members to be involved in local decisions.

‘I feel far too much decision making is done centrally.’

A council spokespers­on said: ‘The council’s political management arrangemen­ts, including committee structures, are determined by elected members.’

Another long-serving councillor Elaine Robertson said it has been ‘a pleasure and a privilege’ to serve the residents of Oban, Lorn and the Isles as she prepares to bring her 19 years in elected office to a close.

Councillor Robertson said: ‘I have been working for the Argyll local authority for 51 years, originally as the community occupation­al therapist from 1971, and as a councillor for the past 19 years.

‘I promised my family before the last election in 2017 that, if elected, I wouldn’t stand again.

Time to stand back and let the younger generation take over the reins and time for me to spend more time with family and friends.

‘It has been a pleasure and privilege to have been one of their elected members.’

In 2007, Mary-Jean Devon stood in the council elections never expecting to become a councillor.

Fifteen years later, her work with care-experience­d young people in the area has given her plenty of happy memories of her time in local government.

The Oban South and the Isles councillor will not seek re-election on Thursday May 5. She said: ‘I retired from my real job 26 years ago at the age of 50, and came back to live on Mull.

‘In 2007 there was an election, and various people suggested that I should stand to be a councillor, never dreaming for one minute that I would be elected.

‘It is the first time I had been allocated a job that had no job descriptio­n. I didn’t know who my boss was and didn’t know where my office was – very different from the strict format I had previously experience­d in my job in banking in Scotland and Canada.

‘I am moving aside to let younger and more energetic people take over. My MS (multiple sclerosis) has deteriorat­ed significan­tly and needs more attention. But more importantl­y, I have two precious grandchild­ren who I want to spend more time with.

‘A bit of advice for all the councillor­s standing next month – learn to put your comments and opinions to the side.

‘Your job is to listen to the opinions of the communitie­s you represent. Not an easy thing to do.’

‘It has been a privilege to have been one of their elected members.’

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