City council will discuss a recommendation Monday that would see city council terms extended to four years from three.

An agenda item on the municipal services committee agenda also states the decision could be made by voters in a public plebiscite this fall.

Before the increased terms can be put to a plebiscite, council must pass a bylaw, stated Keith Sulzer, manager of municipal law and policy, in an e-mail.

Several councillors reached by Yellowknifer voiced their support for such an initiative, citing voter fatigue, and shoulder years where councillors are either learning the ropes or preparing for a coming election.

SA国际影视传媒淭he recommendation is to go to a four year term from a three year, which is consistent with the trend elsewhere,SA国际影视传媒� said deputy mayor Adrian Bell.

SA国际影视传媒淚t makes sense for a variety of reasons but there are also drawbacks,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚n the first year you're learning the ropes. In some terms, the third year is people getting ready for the election and thinking about sound bites and politics and that can be a distraction at the back end of the term.SA国际影视传媒�

Some drawbacks to a four-year term, said Bell, include a need for greater commitment from prospective councillors.

Coun. Julian Morse favours a four-year term to bring the City of Yellowknife in line with other municipalities in Canada.

SA国际影视传媒淭he bottom line is I am in favour of it. Elections are expensive (and) three years is a really short mandate,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is a short period of time and I'm coming to terms with that as our term ends,SA国际影视传媒� said Morse.

There is SA国际影视传媒渕ore to accomplish,SA国际影视传媒� said Morse, publicly announcing for the first time that he will run in the coming election.

In a prospective second term, Morse hopes to advance projects with the heritage committee, economic development initiatives, and work with the university feasibility study.

SA国际影视传媒淔or me, I really want to ensure Yellowknife has a prosperous future,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 think the city needs to focus more on economic development than it has in the past. It really matters to me and that's why I ran.SA国际影视传媒�

Morse echoed Bell's sentiments that other municipalities have four year terms.

SA国际影视传媒淚t's more common and it would line us up with the territory which would be nice,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Councillors are often voting on budgets of previous councils, and have their hands in only two budgets during their term.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat's a really fast turn around and there is something to be said for settling into a role. Government is slow, it takes a long time,SA国际影视传媒� said Morse.

Coun. Linda Bussey also favours a four year term, although she does not plan to run in the coming election.

SA国际影视传媒淚f you really want to make a difference in your term, the third and fourth years are incredible,SA国际影视传媒� said Bussey.

At the tail end of a term, councillors often go into SA国际影视传媒渆lection mode.SA国际影视传媒�

An extended term would allow councillors SA国际影视传媒渢wo solid yearsSA国际影视传媒� to propose changes and see recommendations come to fruition, rather than future councils voting on items put forward by previous councils.

Bussey is pleased with her achievements during her term, she told Yellowknifer.

SA国际影视传媒淢y plans right now are to move into a new job and it's going to demand a lot. I ran on a platform to do some work with the homeless and I think I met my goals,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think what I stood for, I reached. I'm ready to go into the next chapter of my life.SA国际影视传媒�

Before Bussey leaves office at the end of council's term, she will work to get the GNWT SA国际影视传媒渦p to the plateSA国际影视传媒� to back social initiatives for homelessness in the city.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think its time the GNWT injects money in it,SA国际影视传媒� said Bussey. SA国际影视传媒淲e've taken on social issues and we don't have a social issues department.SA国际影视传媒�