SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A city councillor says he is worried too much personal politics will creep into the decision-making process when Mayor Gord Van Tighem and city councillor Mark Heyck sit down to interview potential replacements for city administrator Max Hall, who is retiring.

Coun. David Wind told council Monday he would like to see more city councillors on the interviewing committee.

"There is a considerably wide range of opinions and approaches on council," said Wind.

Wind himself is a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party, and Heyck is a card-carrying member of the NDP – but Wind insisted his concerns are not necessarily about party affiliations, nor is it anything personal against Heyck, who was granted a seat on the two-person committee by virtue of his position as deputy mayor, according to Van Tighem, who formed the committee.

"It seems to me that in the process of hiring or recruiting the new (city administrator), that a person would naturally favour somebody whose views on these things were in alignment with their own," said Wind.

Heyck, however, disagreed with Wind's statement.

"Personally, I don't think ideology plays into the job that the mayor and myself are supposed to be doing in relation to shortlisting candidates for the position," said Heyck.

"One of the critical things is that a (city administrator), to a degree, be apolitical," said Heyck.

The city administrator is the top bureaucrat at city hall. He or she oversees all city departments and plays a big part in putting together the city's budget.

Wind said other councillors, including himself, are careful not to let their political party affiliations "creep into discussions" they have in council.

"But there is a natural inclination for some people to take a position either more traditional, more conservative, or less fiscally aggressive and maybe a more pro-development stance," said Wind.

Wind said there is also "representation on council for people who might be a little more disposed to raising taxes to cover services, people who might be interested in slowing development quite a bit to make sure concerns about the environment are properly addressed, and who might be interested in setting land aside … rather than putting houses on it."

Wind said it's important to recognize that these divisions in ideology naturally occur among people, and on council, and that it may affect the decisions made in hiring a new city administrator.

There are two councillors who have said they would help with selections, if requested, according to Wind, but he would not provide their names, as that discussion was behind closed doors.

Wind recommended that at least one of them be added to the selection committee before the selection process is fully underway.

Heyck said in order to encompass all views on council, they might as well include all of councillors on the committee – but he said he doesn't think it is necessary to add any more members to the selection committee.

"We're looking at finding an individual who can work well with all councillors of all political stripes," said Heyck.

Unlike Heyck and Wind, the mayor insists he isn't affiliated with any political party and is "as neutral as they come."

"I will have no party affiliation and if I will, I will announce it," said Van Tighem.

"In my position I have to work with everybody."

Van Tighem said when it comes time to actually hiring the new administrator the process will be "council-driven," and the purpose of the committee he and Heyck sit on is to make sure council only has to look at the "top candidates."

"The key thing is that we replace high quality with high quality or higher quality," said Van Tighem.