The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment.

The city administration is headed by a chief executive, Leonard Cleary.

The council meets at City Hall, College Road, Galway.

[6] It increased to 15 members at the 1985 election, in anticipation of its conversion to a city council.

[15] Galway City Council has two representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly where they are part of the West Strategic Planning Area Committee.

[16] Members of Galway City Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).