Minister Howell Recognizes Work of Municipal Administrators

October 13, 2022

The following statement was read in the House of Assembly on Thursday, October 13 by the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs:

Speaker, today the Professional Municipal Administrators are holding their 2022 Fall Forum in St. John’s. The organization is comprised of Town and City Managers, Clerks, Chief Administrative Officers and Department Heads who are committed to preserving and advancing excellence in municipal administration in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Every day we see the support and guidance that administrators provide to councils, ensuring the delivery of services and contributing to the success of communities. This becomes even more evident when communities are faced with extraordinary events such as the forest fires in the central region this summer and the devastation of Hurricane Fiona last month on the southwest coast.

The actions and dedication of municipal staff in these communities demonstrates how important their work is to council and residents. They showed leadership, support and empathy, and the ability to successfully handle a crisis while placing the well-being and safety of residents at the forefront.

As part of our government’s overall financial support related to Hurricane Fiona, $500,000 is being provided directly to communities under the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs. I am pleased to report that just over $120,000 has been approved to date to assist with costs for such items as overtime pay for town staff; hiring of staff to assist with hurricane relief; and cleanup of debris. We have been in contact with communities to outline all eligible costs, and administrators are providing a critical service throughout this process.

I ask my Honourable colleagues to join me in thanking municipal administrators everywhere for their contribution to communities, and to wish them a successful and informative fall forum.

Thank you.