Notable expansions were in 1891 (Balsall Heath, Harborne, Saltley and Little Bromwich), 1909 (Quinton), 1911 (Aston Manor, Erdington, Handsworth, Kings Norton, Northfield and Yardley), 1928 (Perry Barr), 1931 (Sheldon and parts of other parishes), and 1974 (Sutton Coldfield).

[13][14] On 5 September 2023, Birmingham City Council issued a Section 114 notice, being the local government equivalent of bankruptcy, stopping all future spending with the exception of money for statutory services, including the protection of vulnerable people.

[15] The leader of the Labour authority stated that the notice was a necessary step to get Birmingham back into a sound financial footing.

[18] She had earlier been co-opted as a member of the council's Education Committee and served as Chairman of the Special School Sub-Committee.

[18] She stood down from the council in October 1913 upon appointment as Commissioner for the Board of Control for Lunacy and Mental Deficiency.

[18] Pinsent's time on the council overlapped with that of Margaret Frances Pugh, who was elected on 22 November 1911 to serve in the North Erdington ward.

[18] Birmingham's third woman councillor, Clara Martineau, was elected on 14 October 1913 in the Edgbaston ward, and served until 1932, when she died, aged 57.

[18] Mary Cottrell became the first female Labour councillor in February 1917, when she was elected unopposed to the Selly Oak ward.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[24][25] The role of Lord Mayor of Birmingham is largely ceremonial.

[52][53] In February 2019, Amey was close to a deal to exit its Birmingham contract, liabilities from which were preventing the company's sale by Ferrovial.

The council was set to receive £160m in 2019 with a further £55m paid over the next six years, with services continuing on an interim basis until September 2019, and potentially until March 2020.

[56] However, in February 2020, it was announced the Birmingham contract would end in March 2020; Kier Group was appointed as interim contractor for 15 months while the council sought a permanent replacement for Amey.

[57] In February 2022, the city council formally began the process of identifying a contractor to deliver £2.7 billion of works over 12 years,[58] and invited Kier and Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin to tender for the city’s restructured highways PFI contract, covering more than 2,500km of road and 5,000km of footway.

[59] Kier were awarded the restructured contract, set to start in February 2024, but the deal was subject to government approval.