SASKATOON -- How does a one-term city councillor beat out Mother Teresa, Princess Diana, a Second-World-War flying ace and pop music legend Joni Mitchell in a bid for civic immortality?

Taxpayers in Saskatoon were left scratching their heads following a Monday night city council meeting in which ex-councillor Terry Alm -- who served one term in council and then dropped out of municipal politics to run for the Saskatchewan Party -- won the honour of honours of having a street named for him.

Mayor Don Atchison approved the name Alm Crescent at the request of the development company responsible for the new neighbourhood.

A city councillor says the honour raises eyebrows for a number of reasons -- mainly, the fact that Alm's name bypasses more than 200 others on a list that includes at least two former mayors, former city councillors who served far longer terms than Alm did and the Saskatoon-raised Mitchell, the city's most celebrated former resident.

The city's master list of approved names for future streets and parks also includes a local war hero, global figures such as Princess Diana and Mother Teresa and past citizens-of-the-year.

Coun. Pat Lorje says there's a perception in the community that the naming of a street after Alm -- especially given his political ambitions -- "doesn't pass the smell test."

At a council meeting earlier this year, Lorje suggested the city adopt a 10-year cooling off period after councillors and mayors leave office before streets, parks or other municipal landmarks can be named after them.

Atchison said the decision -- which rests with the mayor rather than council as a whole -- was "just part and parcel of the ongoing naming" of Stonebridge streets.

The basic idea behind the naming process is to try to match individuals' names to projects or parts of the city with which they'd most like to be associated, he said.

Alm's name was requested by Dundee Developments from a master list approved by council and maintained by the city's naming advisory committee, Atchison said. Hill was appointed to the committee this year.

Alm considers the naming a wonderful compliment from his former colleagues.

"I think that's great," he said.