The tenure of Roanoke City Manager Darlene Burcham could be nearing its end.

Members of the Roanoke City Council confirmed Thursday that they have been actively discussing Burcham's future and could come to a decision as early as Monday during the next council meeting.

The council is scheduled to hold a closed session to conduct Burcham's annual performance review. Three council members, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that as of Thursday afternoon a council majority was prepared to set a date for Burcham to leave city hall -- probably by this fall.

Burcham said Thursday night that she was surprised to hear of the development.

"I certainly serve at the pleasure of council and will wait for my performance review, so it would be premature to comment," she said.

However, she added: "I really do feel I have more to contribute and things I feel I'd like to bring to fruition with the city."

The three council members also said that Mayor David Bowers -- who during his unsuccessful 2004 campaign promised he would fire Burcham if elected -- is not among the majority that now exists. Bowers could not be reached for comment Thursday.

During an interview in March, Burcham said she had not contemplated retirement, citing the long managerial terms of former Roanoke County Administrator Elmer Hodge and former Roanoke City Manager Bob Herbert.

"I honestly don't think about things like retirement," Burcham said. "If and when I have those thoughts, I'll address them. ... I think you know inside yourself when it's time for a change."

The three council members said they have discussed Burcham's status since last summer. They cited concerns about micromanagement of city government, problems generating economic development and the increasing length of her tenure.

A flash point, one council member said, was September's closure of the Roanoke City Market Building for a rodent infestation. City officials had initially said the building was closed for a "fall cleaning."

However, the deepening national recession and concerns about the 2009-10 budget caused council members to delay their discussion of Burcham until recently, they said.

Burcham started her government career as a social worker in the 1960s but moved quickly into management. She spent time as Hampton's director of social services; James City County's assistant county administrator and acting county administrator; and Norfolk's director of human services and then its deputy and assistant city manager.

In 1999 the Roanoke City Council hired Burcham to serve as the city manager on a 4-2 vote.

She started the job even before moving to Roanoke, helping influence the decision to locate what has become Carilion Clinic's Riverside Center along South Jefferson Street and Reserve Avenue.

In her early years as city manager, Burcham was widely praised for her hands-on, attention-to-detail managerial style, which included a number of personnel and system changes in the municipal government, from finding ways to upgrade infrastructure to the color of paint on walls. Her style has made her a polarizing figure over her tenure.

She survived several potential tenure-enders: the demolition of Victory Stadium after the long debate that preceded it; and two different municipal elections that included candidates calling for her to be fired.

As of July 2008, Burcham's salary was $173,658.68. Heading into her 10th year as city manager, Burcham said in March that there were still many things to accomplish.

She said she was excited by plans for a medical school, jointly operated by Carilion and Virginia Tech, on the South Jefferson site, as well as opportunities for integrating its students into the larger Roanoke community.