O'Rourke faces competition in bid to remain Bendigo's mayor

Deputy Rod Fyffe and former deputy Jennifer Alden have also cast themselves forth as candidates for the role.

The city's elected representatives will meet on Monday to decide who will don the mayoral robes in the year ahead of the next council election.

Cr O'Rourke said continuity was part of the reason she was seeking to remain mayor.

"There are some important projects underway I would like to steer to completion," she said.

She said having that continuity was also important in maintaining relationships with government and other stakeholders.

Benefits also included getting projects over the line for the new council - something Cr O'Rourke said the previous council had done.

Whereas, Cr Alden cited the benefits of a refresh as council entered its final quarter.

"The thing with the mayoral role is we need to continue on with the role in front of us," she said.

But she believed a new mayor would be able to play a significant role in driving work that might result from initiatives like the city's bid to become a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Cr Alden expected council would learn the results of its application, in which she has been heavily involved, in coming weeks.

She said advocacy would also be important in a mayor serving during a year filled with events, such as the 150th Bendigo Easter Festival.

Cr Alden believed she had skills and experiences to bring to the role and said she was ready for the opportunity.

Experience was front of mind for Cr Rod Fyffe, who anticipated additional pressure on councillors to get projects completed and deliver new ideas in the final year of their term.

"I think I'm ideally placed, having done it before," he said.

Other challenges ahead included construction on big-ticket state-led projects such as GovHub and the new Bendigo Law Courts.

"I'm well placed to help guide council and councillors through the period," Cr Fyffe said.

Councillors Malcolm Pethybridge, James Williams and Andrea Metcalf ruled out running for mayor.

Cr Williams said he also wouldn't be campaigning for another term on council at the next election.

"Ten years is more than enough," he said.

Cr Williams has twice been a councillor for the City of Greater Bendigo, as well as serving on Huntly council.

"I'm pretty happy with my lot in terms of what we have achieved," he said.

But Cr Williams said there was more to be done, with the industrial land and waste management among his key priorities for council.

He is a member of a number of committees, including the Calder Highway Improvement Committee, the Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy Community Steering Committee, the Rail Freight Alliance and the Bendigo Livestock Exchange Stakeholders Group.

Cr Williams believed some of the work he had been involved in had changed the culture and thinking around the Calder and created opportunities for regional approaches.

There were still more discussions to be had about ideas like a route bypassing Bendigo to the west, Cr Williams said.

He was also passionate about upcoming opportunities within his ward.

"I'm excited for the future and what can happen," Cr Williams said.

Councillors Fyffe, Alden and Metcalf were among the councillors eager to stand for another term.

Both Cr Alden and Cr Metcalf said they were seriously considering it, as another term would provide opportunities to build on what they had learned during this term.

Cr Fyffe said said being a councillor was something he really enjoyed and was keen to keep doing and would continue doing as long as he enjoyed the confidence of the community.

Cr O'Rourke said she felt positive about seeking another term as a councillor, but would be having the discussion with her family before committing.

Cr Pethybridge also had yet to commit to seeking another term.

All councillors were contacted for comment.

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