Thurso councillor opens up about health concerns leading him to stand down as chair of the Caithness Committee
Ward councillor for Thurso, Ron Gunn, opened up about the health issues which led to him making the hard decision to stand down from his role as chair of the Caithness Committee.
The 70-year-old will maintain his role as a councillor for Thurso and Northwest Caithness, but after a period of illness in which he could not perform his duties as chair of the committee, he consulted his GP, who advised him to “take it a bit easier” with his work schedule.
“Following the council elections in 2022, I was elected as chair of the Caithness Committee,” said Cllr Gunn.
“It was a great honour and privilege to have been elected as chair, especially as a new councillor.
“After consulting my doctor, I made the decision earlier this month, on health grounds, to stand down from the position of chair. I believe that the area chair should always be available, and as I was unwell last year and am still receiving treatment, I cannot rule out needing to be off in the future. I will continue to work hard as a councillor for Thurso and West Caithness.”
Cllr Gunn said he thanks fellow Caithness councillors for their contributions during his time as chair and also those members who have given him their help and support, especially the two vice chairs, Cllr Jan McEwan and Cllr Struan Mackie, along with Cllr Matthew Reiss.
“My thanks also go to those council officers and representatives of other agencies who produced and presented the numerous reports to the Caithness Committee meetings.”
Highland Council has 11 area committees, set up in a bid to devolve power from Inverness to local communities.
They meet three times a year, but consider a vast range of topics including police and fire reports, housing, road repairs, schools and economic development. It is the only public-facing forum for local decision-making and funding.
“Finally, I would like to wish the Caithness Committee every success under the leadership of my two successors, Cllr Jarvie and Cllr Rosie, who are going to share the responsibility of chairing the committee for the remaining two years of this term.”
