Contact Your Council Carefully – time and effort pays off!

Local councils don’t always come in for a great reputation, yet when it comes to getting things done in our community, if we know how to navigate them, councils can be one of our greatest assets. It doesn’t mean they will drop everything to attend to a hasty phone call or a quickly ‘scribbled’ email. Councils are professional bodies dealing with dozens of enquiries daily, and the way you approach your enquiry will make all the difference to the way it is received. Below, we list some helpful tips to grabbing your council’s attention in the best possible way:

Who’s business is it?

Save yourself time and effort by carefully considering the nature of your enquiry. Although it may, at first, seem like a council matter, the solution may, in fact, lie with another entity. For example, a complaint about the growing number of rabbits in your garden may be best directed to your regional council, rather than your local council. A roading issue may be a council issue or, given the nature of the road, it may be a Transit NZ matter. Do your homework first by phoning council reception to check.

The personal touch

Councils offer many services. Before you make your enquiry, go to your council’s website to see which department is best placed to receive your call or correspondence. Once you know the department, phone council reception and ask for the name and contact details of the staff member in that department to whom you can direct your enquiry. If you are only permitted to make your enquiry via reception, mark your correspondence using the staff member’s name, for example: ‘Attention: XXX.’ Also ask reception to advise you when your correspondence has been received.

Strength in numbers

Although councils are obliged to respond to all enquiries, they will, in general, take an issue more seriously if it comes from a group of ratepayers rather than an individual. Before making your enquiry, can you interest others in your neighbourhood in sharing your concern? If so, they may be willing to put their names to your request (for example) to have a footpath resealed to iron out tripping hazards. If your request can come from an organisation (for example, your local branch of Senior Citizens) rather than an individual or several neighbours joining forces, even better.

Catch your councillor!

We don’t always have easy access to our local council representative, but when we do, they can often help short-cut the enquiries system. Check on your local council website, or phone reception to ask if your local representative holds community ‘workshops’ where ratepayers can make an appointment to speak to them in person. If not, ask for their phone contact.

Moving forward

Whether you make your enquiry via council staff or your local representative, be sure to ask when you should expect the matter to be resolved (if this is to be forthcoming) or when you should next expect to hear from council regarding the issue. This lets council know you are holding them to account, and also allows you to follow up swiftly if a date is not met. It can pay to ask council for a reference number for your enquiry so you do not have to repeat its details all over again next time you call.

Are we on the same page?

Whether you speak to council staff or your local representative, be sure to take notes of your phone call or in-person meeting. Use these notes to follow up with an email (or letter) in which you state what you understand has been discussed, and the outcome of this discussion. Invite the recipient of your correspondence to correct you if you are wrong.

Complaints procedure

If you feel your local council is not taking your enquiry seriously, or is not dealing with it in a fair or timely manner, you have recourse to take your concern about this to the ombudsman for local government.

Your council is there to serve its ratepayers. In all but emergency situations, taking your time over making an enquiry is likely to reap the best results.