On May 5 West Dunbartonshire will go to the polls to decide who will make up the new council administration.
Those elected as councillors will make decisions on behalf of residents about vital local services including roads, parks, schools and planning.
Currently West Dunbartonshire Council is a minority SNP administration, with the party having gained four seats in 2017 and increased their share of the vote by nine percent.
Locally Dumbarton and the Vale are split into three wards; Dumbarton, Leven and Lomond. In the build-up to May’s vote we’re giving every one of the candidates vying for your vote the opportunity to make their case.
This week the focus is on Leven – where four members will be elected.
Currently the ward, which covers Bellsmyre, Renton, Bonhill and the south of Alexandria, is represented by Labour’s John Millar, the SNP’s Ian Dickson, Jim Bollan of the Community Party and Alba’s Caroline McAllister (who was elected as an SNP member in 2017).
Councillor McAllister will not be seeking re-election this year, with two former members seeking a return to frontline politics, former council leader Ronnie McColl (SNP) and former education convenor Michelle McGinty (Labour).
Earlier this year Ronnie, father of current WDC leader Jonathan McColl, said: “I served as a councillor for 13 years in the 1990s and 2000s and filled various roles within the council. I feel now is the time to get back involved and serve my community once again.
“I have a proven track record of working well with colleagues of different political persuasions, as we must do to improve life for those we represent.”
Veteran Jim Bollan, who was first elected as a councillor in the area in 1988, is joined in aiming to retain his seat by the long-serving John Millar, and SNP’s Ian Dickson – elected for the first time in 2017.
Ian Dickson - SNP
I have lived almost my entire life in West Dunbartonshire and grew up in Bonhill where I still live today.
I’m a frequent fundraiser for cancer charities and I also volunteer locally.
I teach adults to ride bikes and encourage people of all ages to adopt active travel by leading rides on e-Bikes and local walks.
Cancer affects too many people and life expectancy for people born here is amongst the lowest in Scotland, so these are some of the hands-on ways that I can help to improve the lives of local people.
Some of the achievements I am proudest of include delivering new schools and nurseries, as well as the agreement I won recently to significantly increase council house standards.
I have taken a stand against nuclear convoys through West Dunbartonshire, arranged an affordable funeral programme, and delivered four consecutive years of council budgets with NO cuts.
If re-elected I want to improve the council’s building repairs service and get rid of the long delays people have to endure when they need that service.
I’ll ensure pavement and road improvements and the rapid pothole repair service the SNP recently budgeted for are implemented.
I will also be striving to complete the regeneration of Mitchell Way and deliver investment worth over £30million for Alexandria and Dumbarton town centres.
John Millar - Labour
I have been a councillor representing the Leven ward since 2007.
I am married with two grown-up children. I am a hard working councillor who puts his constituents first on any issues that they have from housing repairs, social work, road and lighting repairs.
I attend community groups, community councils and parent councils as well as my committees in the council.
I am constantly challenging that my ward in certain areas needs more investment. I have highlighted these issues in the media, antisocial behaviour is a particular problem which needs to be addressed. We have to get young teenagers involved to take some pride in the area they live in so I will continue to fight these local issues until they are resolved.
It’s been fantastic to see our school estate grow with the new builds all opened to allow our teachers and staff to work in the very best environments to give our children the best education and the best possible start in life.
If I am re-elected I will continue to represent my constituents to the best of my ability.
Jim Bollan - Community Party
If re-elected to the Leven Ward, I will continue to be a full-time councillor with no other paid employment to ensure I can be accessible and held to account by constituents.
I will continue to hold 12 surgeries a month for constituents, three in Alexandria, three in Bellsmyre, three in Bonhill and three in Renton.
With the cost-of-living crisis, it will be a priority to maximise every pound possible for every constituent via WDC and external agencies.
The council and the HSCP have millions in reserves and given the huge cost-of-living rises in energy and food, citizens are facing we need to tap into these in a creative way.
With 3,000 applicants on the waiting list for a council house, I will propose through the planning laws, a proposal to increase the number of new build Council properties for rent.
Chief officers have far too much power delegated to them, this needs to be stripped back and returned to elected councillors to increase and democratise the decision-making process.
To underpin and strengthen this, I will propose tenants and residents reps should be members of all council committees, with a vote.
I will continue to expose corruption when I find it on the council, and will continue to campaign for the reinstatement of a full general hospital at the Vale.
Paula Baker - Green
I’ve worked in nature conservation for 18 years and lived locally since 2013.
If elected as your councillor I will work with the community to make improvements to green spaces in the area and make them work better for both wildlife and people. I will empower and support local people to take ownership of their greenspaces.
As a councillor I will supporting local youth initiatives and ensuring young people have access to safe, clean, well-funded green spaces and indoor services.
We must build on the investment during the pandemic that allowed people to travel around safely without the need for a car.
West Dunbartonshire needs to prioritise lasting initiatives to bring families out of poverty and end reliance on resources such as food banks.
Our Council should represent a wide range of views, from different backgrounds, reflecting the diverse society we live in. We’re seeing this work at Scottish Government level with parties working together and it should start to filter down into local councils too.
Having a Green view on all issues is vital for tackling the nature and climate crisis as well as ensuring social justice is considered in all decision-making. We need councillors to act local and think global. Voting for me as your first preference at this election is the way to make this happen.
Matthew Dillon - Conservative
This upcoming election is about seeing local action on local issues.
It’s time for Leven ward to see proper investment in its town centres to help businesses thrive. I will press to ensure that our schools are properly funded, and our young people get the opportunities they deserve.
Leven ward has a great history and a lot to offer. We should attract people to come here to visit, live and work.
That’s why I would focus on increasing affordable quality housing, encouraging businesses to locate here and invest in our infrastructure to boost our local economy.
The council also needs to get back to dealing well with the basics, like ensuring we have clean and safe streets, making improvements to our roads and building up local services.
Residents in Leven ward need the council to provide these services whilst keeping council tax low.
I am passionate about seeing improvements to our ward and hope to work with residents to ensure we make the changes we all want to see.
Ronnie McColl - SNP
As well as helping to shape and improve the services we all use on a daily basis, such as social work, housing and education, one of the main reasons that I want to return to frontline politics is to help shape the regeneration of Alexandria and Dumbarton town centres.
Having worked in both over the years, I remember how vibrant they once were. With investment secured, we have the chance to make them places the local community want to visit on a regular basis.
It is also vital that we continue to safeguard the future of the Vale of Leven Hospital. Much has been done by the SNP to bring more services to the hospital and secure its future but we will never stop fighting for the services local people deserve. Too many people have been wrongly turned away from the minor injuries unit or redirected elsewhere and I will work to ensure that it operates as it should and provides the care people need.
Politicians of all persuasions must work together. Our community deserves and expects its elected representatives to be fully committed to representing their views. If elected, I promise I will do just that.
Michelle McGinty - Labour
As a previous councillor I feel that I helped make decisions that made a positive difference such as new school buildings, extending the threshold for free school meals and ensuring there was funding for new play parks.
Over the last five years I have had a number of life experiences that I believe will allow me to better represent the people who live in the Leven ward to help make a positive difference.
I have dealt with both my own personal health issues and those of my family, completed my education journey, gained a law degree and became a full-time carer for my nana.
The key issues for me in this election are helping our community recover from the pandemic and to protect people from the cost of living crisis and its impact on families and individuals. Prices have gone through the roof and we are all feeling the effects of larger shopping bills and the increase in our household costs and I want to do what I can to help ease the impact of these rises.
Council staff and other key workers have provided fantastic support to residents and our communities during the last few difficult years but we still have so much more to do. We need to do more to improve our care at home provision, mental health service, housing repairs service and potholes in the roads.
I would be delighted if the people in the Leven gave me the chance to represent them again.
Sian Wilkie - Independent
Sian Wilkie is running on a very simple platform: to rebuild the Vale with a focus on the community and the small local businesses that should be the heartbeat of the town.
Having seen the Vale thriving before, and having a family business that has served the community for over 60 years, Sian is driven by the idea that the town has untapped potential to better serve the residents day-to-day and be a destination for tourists visiting the close by National Park.
Without the distraction of a political party agenda to follow, Sian can be the driving force behind improving the town for everybody.
