The number of Dunedin city councillors, the future of the ward system and need for community boards will all be debated in the next 10 months.
The council is required by legislation to review its representation, and should vote at a council meeting on Monday to appoint a review team.
There appeared to be some support after the last election for a "super ward" to replace the present ward system, and little support for a system where voters could choose from a limited number of candidates in their own wards.
The only poll in which all voters had a say was the mayoral race.
The city is split into six wards, three in rural areas and three in the city, and councillors believed the city wards should be amalgamated, when they were asked by the Otago Daily Times in October.
A report by electoral officer Pam Jordan said the representative arrangements had to be determined for public notification no later than September 8 next year.
That would be followed by a submission period, and an appeals period, and a determination by April 11 in election year, 2010.
The council will have to decide whether to have the review done by staff, independent people, or a mixture of independent people and councillors.
