Boston City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon, both of whom have said they are looking at running for mayor next year, are holding high profile hearings this week, the Boston Globe reports.

Flaherty, a South Boston at-large councilor, is slated to present proposals to ban armor-piercing ammunition in Boston and implement tougher penalties for those convicted of possession of illegal handguns at a hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Yoon, of Dorchester, is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday on using civilian flagmen instead of police details at construction sites in Boston.

Councilor John Tobin, of Jamaica Plain, told the Globe that he believes the conclusion of the 2008 election marked the official beginning of the 2009 mayor's race.

"It's always been my thought that as soon as the clock struck midnight on Nov. 4 with the presidential race, the countdown to the mayor's race in 2009 would begin," Tobin said. "Why come out with any earth-shattering proposals in the midst of a presidential race that had just unprecedented interest? Anything you did would just get lost."

Tobin has said he would consider running for mayor in 2009 if Mayor Thomas Menino decides not to run for re-election.