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Winnipeg, MB – TheNewswire – June 6, 2025 – Municipalities across Atlantic Canada continue to trail behind most of the country when it comes to financial transparency, according to the 2025 Local Government Performance Index (LGPI) released by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. While Moncton ranked highest in the region, Charlottetown tied for the lowest score nationwide among cities that submitted their financial statements.
The LGPI evaluates 99 of Canada’s largest cities based on how clearly and thoroughly they report financial information to the public. Scoring is based on the accessibility, completeness, and timeliness of financial reports—not on budget performance or fiscal health.
“Atlantic Canada’s largest cities still struggle with basic transparency,” said Lee Harding, author of the report. “Better financial disclosure is essential to public trust and civic engagement.”
Moncton Takes Top Spot in the Region
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Moncton, NB (27/33)
Moncton scored highest among Atlantic cities, earning points for timely audits, capital asset reporting, and inclusion of historical trend data. It was one of only two cities in the region to submit its independent audit within four months of the fiscal year-end. -
Fredericton, NB and Saint John, NB (24/33 each)
Performed moderately well but lacked detailed commentary and separation of goods and contracted services.
Halifax and St. John’s in the Middle Tier
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Halifax, NS (26/33)
Gained one point over the previous year, benefiting from detailed capital asset and depreciation reporting. -
St. John’s, NL (25/33)
Scored well in reporting and expenditures but did not include full historical trend data.
Lowest-Scoring City: Charlottetown
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Charlottetown, PEI (20/33)
Tied with Medicine Hat, AB and Strathcona County, AB for the lowest national score among cities that submitted reports. The city lost points for late audit submission, lack of breakdowns for expenditures, and missing depreciation data. -
Cape Breton, NS (23/33)
Dropped one point from the previous year due to minor delays and omissions.
Transparency Challenges Across the Region
None of the Atlantic cities received an accounting award for financial reporting in 2023, and most did not separate goods and services in their expenditure breakdowns. Only Moncton and Fredericton filed their audits within the top-rated four-month window, a basic indicator of reporting efficiency.
What the Transparency Index Measures
The LGPI does not evaluate how well cities manage their budgets, but how well they disclose financial data to the public. Cities are scored out of 33 points across 10 criteria, including:
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Timeliness of audit
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Receipt of accounting awards
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Commentary and analysis
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Reporting of capital assets and depreciation
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Historical trend data
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Breakdown of expenditures by object and service type
About the LGPI
Since 2007, the Local Government Performance Index has promoted improved governance by encouraging transparency in municipal financial reporting. The LGPI’s public database at LGPI.ca lets users compare city finances from 2007 through 2023.
Contact:
Lee Harding
Research Fellow
Frontier Centre for Public Policy
lee.harding@fcpp.org
Marco Navarro-Genie
Vice President of Research and Policy
mng@fcpp.org
About the Frontier Centre
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an independent Canadian think tank focused on fostering good governance and accountability in public institutions. The LGPI project aims to encourage municipalities to adopt best practices in financial reporting through transparency benchmarking.
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