Established in January 1949 as a successor to Jaffna Urban Council, it currently has 45 members elected using the mixed electoral system.

[1] The board consisted of six members, three official (including the Government Agent who was chair) and three unofficial representing three wards - central, eastern and western.

[1] A ten member urban district council (UDC) was established in January 1923 under the Local Government Ordinance No.

[1] The UDC, which was based in a small office at Jaffna Kachcheri, required new premises and the Ridgeway Memorial Hall on the esplanade was identified as a suitable location.

[1] Subsequently a town hall was built on the site and officially opened by Waithilingam Duraiswamy, Speaker of the State Council.

[1] A lack of storage space resulted in the municipal council purchasing premises east of Front Street in 1955.

[1] Mayor of Jaffna Alfred Duraiappah was assassinated by the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 27 July 1975.

[5][6] Numerous other municipal council facilities including the library, rest house, open air theatre and grand bazaar were damaged beyond repair during the civil war.

[1] As a result of the damage caused to the town hall the municipal council was forced to re-locate to premises on Point Pedro Road on land leased from Nallur Kandaswamy temple.

20 and 24 of 1987 changed the method of electing all local authority members from the first past the post using wards to proportional representation using open lists.

22 of 2012, changing the electoral system for electing local authority members from open list proportional representation to a mixed electoral system whereby 70% of members would be elected using first past the post voting and the remaining 30% through closed list proportional representation.

[38] Elections should have been held when the extension expired in February 2003 but in January 2003, following a request from the Tamil National Alliance, the central government instead dissolved JMC using emergency powers and instead put in place special commissioners to administer the local area.

[40] In January 2004 elections in the north and east, except for local authorities in Ampara District, were postponed, for a fourth time, until 23 October 2004.

Thurairajah Illango (UPFA-EPDP) resigned from being Deputy Mayor and was replaced by Meerasahib Mohamed Rameez (UPFA-ACMC).

[52] Results of the local government election held on 8 February 2018:[53] Results by ward:[54] The following candidates were elected:[55] Jesurajah Mary Anjala (TNA-Gurunagar), Paramalingam Anushiya (EPDP-PR), E. Arnold (TNA-ITAK-Passaiyoor), Mahalingam Arulkumaran (TNA-Grand Bazaar), Necolas Mariyathas Balachandran (TNA-Navanthurai North), Flavian Expedith Crasian (TNA-Reclamation West), Solomon Cyril (TNA-Chundikuli Maruthady), Crasian Damian (EPDP-PR), Thurairajah Eesan (TNA-TELO-Columbuthurai), Thurairasa Ilango (EPDP-PR), Likori Clement Jeyaseelan (TNPF-Cathedral), Rajaratnam Kanesarajah (TNPF-Vannarpannai North), Vaithilingam Kirubakaran (TNPF-Ariyalai West), Karthikesu Velum Mayilum Kugenthiran (EPDP-PR), Sinnathurai Kulenthirarajah (UNF-PR), Nadarajah Logathayalan (TNA-PR), Vishvalingam Manivannan (TNPF-PR), Mahenthiran Mayooran (TNPF-Attiaddy), Jeyanthini Nageswaran (EPDP-PR), Muththu Muhammathu Muhammathu Nibahir (TNA-New Moor Street), Kathiravel Niththiyananthan (TNA-Jaffna Town), Kachcha Mohamed Mahamed Niyas (UNF-Old Moor Street), Subajini Antony Panadsha (TNPF-PR), Varatharajan Partheepan (TNPF-Kantharmadam South), Balasubramaniam Pathmamurali (TNPF-Ariyalai), Yogeswari Patkunarajah (EPDP-PR), Neekilapillai Philiph (EPDP-Navanthurai South), Nalina Premlal (TNA-PR), Jeyakkumar Rajeevkanth (TNPF-Kalaigakal), Ramalingam Rakini (TNA-Nallur Irajathani), Mudiyappu Remidius (EPDP-PR), Sebamalaimuththu Sathiyasekaran (EPDP-Reclamation East), Ramasamy Chettiyar Selvavadivel (EPDP-PR), Balasingam Shantharuban (SLFP-PR), Nagarasa Srikaran (SLFP-PR), Suganthini Srikaran (TNPF-PR), Subramaniyam Subatheesh (TNA-Kantharmadam North East), Ajantha Thanbalasingam (TNPF-PR), Nagalingam Thanenthiran (TNA-Koddady Fort), Sivakanthan Thanujan (TNPF-Iyanar Kovilady), Paramalingam Tharshananth (TNA-Kantharmadam North West), Mathivathani Vivekanantharasa (TNA-Sangiliyan Thoppu), Sutharsing Vijayakanth (TULF/EPRLF-Thirunagar), Vicneswaralingam Vijayathadshani (UNF-PR) and Ratnasingam Yenan (TNPF-Eachchamoddai).