Writing to your representative
How to write a letter to the Community Council
If you have an issue you want the Community Council to consider, then you should write either to the Town Clerk or a Councillor asking specifically that the letter should be read out at their next meeting.
- Prepare your letter in a way that reflects the importance of the issue and your message.
- Write a traditional paper letter - it will generally get more attention that an e-mail. If you must e-mail, remember to include your postal address in case they prefer to reply by snail-mail.
- Keep the letter as short as possible but still allow yourself to make the points which think are most important
- It’s ok to write one letter with copies to others as appropriate, without a separate covering letter
- Find some way to make the issue become personally relevant to your elected representative
- Think of a creative presentation method so that it catches the eye, makes the person who opens your letter stop and take note
- Be respectful, but make your point clearly and very firmly
- Be sure to outline exactly what you want to have your Town Councillor to do. If you have a complaint, offer a solution.
- Be sure to sign it, providing your full occupational title/position, residential address (more important than a post office box number since councillors need to know if you live in their area), and postal code.
- Finally and importantly, do not rant or be abusive. Imagine your letter being read out to a group of strangers, or in a court of law. It should portray the writer as a reasonable person with genuine grievances, rather than a crank.