Coventry has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions.

The earliest known charter, concerning the establishment of St Mary's Priory and its relationship with the town, dates from 1043.

[4] The city was administered in a fragmented fashion between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, with a "Prior's Half" controlled by the bishops and priory, and an "Earl's Half" controlled by the Earls of Chester.

The halves were united in 1345 when a new charter was issued to the city by Edward III, which also granted the right to appoint a mayor.

A separate body of improvement commissioners was established in 1763 to pave, light and repair the streets, provide a watch, and supply water.

[12] In 1974 the city gained two parishes on its north-western edge, and was reformed to become a metropolitan borough within the new West Midlands county.

Following the abolition of the county council in 1986, Coventry took on county-level functions in the area again.

Coventry City Council provides both county-level and district-level services, with some functions across the West Midlands provided via joint committees with the other West Midlands authorities, overseen by the combined authority and mayor.