The Yukon government (YTG) should cease and desist in its efforts to undermine the authority of democratically-elected municipal councils.

That's the opinion of Doug Graham, president of the Association of Canadian Municipalities (AYC) and Whitehorse city councillor.

Graham said this morning he's been receiving information that the YTG has plans to strengthen the powers of the Yukon Municipal Board.

'The YTG wants to increase the powers of the unelected municipal review board,' he said.

'There's no way you should be able to take a group of unelected people to look at the decisions made by elected officials.

'To have a group of unelected officials look at the decisions of elected officials doesn't make any sense,' he said.

According to the territorial government, the Yukon Municipal Board is an arm's-length forum designed to review municipal actions.

'This is a quasi-judicial board legislated under the Municipal Act,' YTG information states.

'The board hears appeals and advises the Minister of Community Services in the areas of planning and municipal boundary changes.'

According to YTG information, the board is made up of five appointed members: a chair, deputy chair and representatives of the Council of Yukon First Nations, the YTG and the AYC.

According to the YTG, members of the board include Craig Tuton (chair), Shanon Cooper, Eric Stinson, Roland Ronaghan and Robert Lee Jackson.

The board holds its legislated authority under section 328 of the Yukon Municipal Act.

Contacted this morning, Watson Lake Mayor Richard Durocher said he's not heard any information on government plans to expand the Yukon Municipal Board's role but said he'd be concerned over the idea.

'I'd be very wary of expanding the powers of an unelected board,' he said.

'I don't understand why we'd need that.'

He said Yukon city and town councils have their actions governed by the Municipal Act and couldn't go beyond what the act says.

'The Municipal Act governs how we do business,' he said.

Ginny MacDonald, of the YTG's Boards and Committees Secretariat, said this morning she hasn't heard any news about the board's mandate changing.

'I've heard nothing at all about this board,' she said, explaining that her role is to handle applications to government boards and send briefing notes to cabinet.