TRIBUTES have been paid to Dorset’s longest-serving councillor – who has been celebrating fifty years of continuous service.
Cllr Stella Jones was elected to West Dorset District Council in 1973 at the age of 27 where she continued to serve until 2019. She subsequently joined Dorset Council in April 2019, as the new unitary council was created covering the areas of Purbeck, East Dorset, North Dorset, West Dorset and Weymouth & Portland.
Three-time mayor Cllr Jones has fulfilled many council roles over the years including serving Dorchester Town Council for 45 years and is now Chair of Dorset Council after the Lib Dem’s victory in the local elections in May 2024.
Stella said she was motivated to join the local council 50 years ago to ensure the voices of young families were heard: “I was a busy mother with four children, having to find babysitters, take children to school and after school activities -my husband was also a councillor, so he was busy with meetings too.
“The council was very male dominated then, and there was a lack of facilities and services for young families, such as playgrounds and dropped kerbs where you could get around with a pram.
Have you found many changes to the role over the past 50 years? Are things better or worse?
“Yes, there have been many changes over the years. There is much more respect from officers and other councillors, especially for women, and younger members now.
“Contact with residents and officers is much easier now, thanks to the internet, and online meetings help with time management and has reduced the need for travel.
Would you recommend being a councillor and any advice for newly elected councillors?
“I feel very privileged to have been elected as a councillor many times over in the last 50 years. It gives me great satisfaction to serve the community and help others and I continue to immensely enjoy my time as their councillor.
“My advice to newly elected councillors is to keep in touch with all your residents. Listen to their views and visit anyone who contacts you with a problem.
“We’re here to represent our community and that’s got to be the overwhelming influence in your decision to be a councillor.
“Stick to your principles and clearly state your views – but don’t talk too much or people will stop listening.
“Councils across the country have had to innovate and change the ways they work to deliver significant savings and efficiencies. But there is only so much we can do in the face of large reductions in government funding and increasing demand for services.
“I would like to see councils being able to raise money locally and spend it for the benefit of residents.
Leader of Dorset Council, Cllr Nick Ireland, said: “It is an astonishing feat for anyone to serve continuously for 50 years – Stella has not only achieved this outstanding milestone but also has diligently represented the same area of Dorset throughout.
“She is an inspiration to anyone looking to get involved with public service, and Stella is as actively engaged with local issues now as she was when she started.”
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