The Dunedin City Council is considering whether to explore a possible unitary authority for Otago, at a meeting this week.
A unitary authority is a territorial authority with regional council responsibilities headed by a mayor.
Councillor Kevin Gilbert sent the notion of motion, saying he believed a conversation about governance structure was needed.
The motion recommended that council requests staff to prepare a high-level report for discussions about a possible unitary authority for Otago by December.
Councillors will discuss this at their meeting on Tuesday.