The umbrella group for municipalities in the province says these are challenging times as towns and cities prepare for elections a little over a month from now.

Elections for local government might be the furthest things from the minds of some right now, particularly in fire-ravaged areas such as Conception Bay North.

Municipalities NL President Amy Coady isn’t sure how things will play out in that regard. She says most areas will be able to have their elections without any difficulty but other concerns will have to come first such as damage to community and home.

They’ll be focusing on, first and foremost, the needs of residents in terms on infrastructure and the like. “Rebuilding communities will be the focus in some areas,” says Coady.

She says they’ll be relying heavily on the provincial government in helping them make decisions regarding municipal elections, set for October 2.