Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador is in the process of hiring someone to help smaller towns across the province appropriately keep track of their finances.

President Amy Coady says there are some municipalities that are unable to obtain municipal operating grants from the province because one of the requirements is that they have to submit an audited financial statement each year.

She says for towns of fewer than 1,000 people, which accounts for a third of their members, finding an accountant to take that on can be a challenge, especially when that is coupled with many towns still doing their bookkeeping on paper instead of digitally.

She says being able to find an auditor and the amount of time it would take to work on said audit is a challenge. So, MNL is in the process of hiring a Financial Management Support Program Administrator that will help those municipalities get their books in order so that it is easier for an auditor to take them on. The position will be part of a two-year program.

Coady says they hope to have that position in place in early 2025.