Saint John's municipal offices could soon be packed up and moved out of its long-time city hall building at 15 Market Square.

On Monday night, council approved a request for proposals that will enlist a realtor to search for space somewhere in the uptown.

"We're going to say to the marketplace, this is the space we need, this is how many offices we need," said Mayor Don Darling.

"We need a few boardrooms. We need a place to meet as council. Get creative and come back and tell us what you can do for us."

Saint John councillors have long talked of the need to find city hall space that is less expensive.

The draft for the municipality's 2017 operating budget lists expenses for city hall at $1,898,594, a $10,000 increase from 2016.

That's far too much for Coun. John MacKenzie.

"I think we can do a lot better in terms of the money that we're spending," said MacKenzie.

"I would like to see us, ideally, take a building that needs refurbishment and either — if we own it fine, if we don't we should buy it, refurbish it and within five years own it and keep investing in our city."

I think we can do a lot better in terms of the money that we're spending. - Coun. Ray Strowbridge

In August, the federal and provincial governments announced $4 million in funding to help renovate the four-storey City Market tower, opening the possibility that space can be used for municipal offices.

Coun. Ray Strowbridge says that would mean a second space, smaller than the block in the current city hall building, would be all that is needed.

But Strowbridge says it must be someplace in the uptown.

"We've still got to be accessible and be able to provide good service," he said.

"We can't have people driving all over town to 10 different offices to try to get something. That's counterproductive."