There are many of us who work through the festive season for a whole range of reasons: We need the money, we want to support those who need to have a break, some of us have older families - and so letting those with young children take time off seems like the right thing to do. 

Many of the services provided by central and local governments have to keep going, regardless of the time of year. Our hospitals, Police, and Fire and Emergency are a few that come to mind, along with transport companies and supermarkets. 

But what about your local council staff - and those that contract to your local council? How available are they over the festive season? 

Rotorua Lakes Council has apologised after failing to pick up the dumped rotting bones of a large butchered animal for two months, despite a Rotorua ratepayer reporting them five times. 

Haylee Ellen first called Rotorua Lakes Council about the 'dead animal carcass' on Gee Road back on the 4th of November. Two weeks later, she called the council again, only to be told that staff couldn't locate the dump site. 

There was a third call, then a fourth, before eventually staff had a proper look and found the mess. 

How good is your local council at responding to issues you've raised in recent times? Do you get the feeling that you're being taken seriously when you make complaints about the variety of issues you see that make your town or city look less than desirable?

One contact I have had to lodge an official information act application with their council in order to know whether any action had been taken or not, vis-à-vis the many complaints they'd make over a long period of time. The OIA came back - no action had been taken. 

Here's what's happened to me over the past 7 years of phoning and lodging several complaints to the Auckland Council about our street and the drains never being cleaned or dug out: Nothing. Not one response to one complaint. 

Has your council abdicated responsibilities for those core jobs that they once took pride in keeping on top of? Do you get any action when you lodge complaints - and if you've taken things further, have you had any luck with your councillors? Even your mayor?

As your rates increase and the services decline, just remember what they promised when they ran for the job they were voted in to do. And don't be afraid to remind them. 

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