「會期」係指議會具有活動能力的期間，此概念內涵又包括：定期會、延長會期與臨時會等三個部分。議會召集開會之次數多寡及日期長短，象徵組織職能的重要性高低。各國地方議會有關會期制度的規範模式不一，聯邦制國家歧異較大，單一制國家則通常由中央政府以法律規範之。我國地方議會的會期制度規範，在地方自治法制化完成前，僅以行政命令定之，且相關條文規範頗為嚴格，各地方自治團體的彈性、自主運作空間有限。民國八十三年七月「自治二法」公布施行，亦未將會期制度納入法律的規範層次，直到八十八年一月制定「地方制度法」，對此方有明文規定。然而，此一新增規範因涉及小幅縮減各級地方議會召開臨時會之次數與總日數上限，故曾引發激烈反彈，要求中央政府賦予地方議會更大自治空間。 本文乃是一個初步探索性研究，藉由檢討學理概念、歸納法規變動、描述實務運作，多面向地解析我國地方議會之會期制度，並釐清此一規範課題所引發的各項政治爭端。作者發現：地方議會之會期運作，每年皆有週而復始的慣性存在，相關缺失更是不少；惟應如何妥善予以規範，卻常面臨地方分權與自治監督必須平衡思考的兩難困境。

　　　　　The session system consists of regular meeting, extension session, and extraordinary meeting. In session time, parliaments or councils have legal power to assemble and resolve proposed laws. Session norms of local councils in federal system are more divergent than in unitary system. In Taiwan, the Legislative Yuan passed the Local System Law in January 1999, before that the session system of local councils was not legalized. Furthermore, these norms set by directive were very rigid and inflexible, local governments had little autonomy. Because this new law slightly reduces the extension session of tiers of local councils, it leads to some political disputes against centralism. This article reviews concepts of session system, induces the norm evolution, describes the session practices of six local councils. According to such studies, the author finds out there are obvious inertia and defects in every annual session of local councils. But, it will fall into the dilemma between decentralization and supervision when proposes and amendment of local self-government.