New Wick provost 'humbled' to receive accolade and wants return of core services
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The newly elected Provost of Wick talked about wanting to see core services returned to the area and the humbling moment she received the chain of office.
Jan McEwan MBE is originally from Ayrshire and worked at the Sheriff Clerk's office in Wick for 25 years before being voted in at the council elections in May as a Scottish Liberal Democrat.
"I am very honoured and humbled to be nominated Wick provost," she said. "I've lived in Caithness for 28 years and it's really good that people support me and think that I can do something for Caithness as an incomer. I'm so surprised to be voted in as an incomer, in fact."
The Wick and east Caithness councillor said she she wants to make a difference in her ward over her five year tenure and would like to see core services, such as maternity, mental health, roads, police and education, returned "to what they were previously".
"[I want to] stop the drain on our population, young and elderly [and] regenerate Wick so we can all be proud of our town. This has started with amazing local volunteers cleaning up the town and villages."
In her new position, Cllr McEwan said she expects to attend full Highland Council meetings and now sits on the boards for Audit and Scrutiny as well as Planning and Review – she will also attend area ward and community meetings.
"I hope to carry out this responsibility to the credit of everyone who has voted for me. My duties include representing Highland Council at formal engagements [and] taking the lead on civic matters relating to the Royal Burgh of Wick. [Also] working with stakeholders and the general public to raise the profile of Wick and east Caithness [and] to take the public lead following the death of a senior national figure."
Cllr McEwan added that Wick and Caithness will be her priorities before any politics. "This has all been a huge learning curve for me but I intend to give 100 per cent to this job."
