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

The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Sonya Kavanagh.

[1] By late 1990s, the old hospital buildings were in poor condition, and the county council identified the former Devoy Barracks site as its preferred location for new facilities.

[3][4] Members of Kildare County 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).

County Kildare is divided into municipal districts and LEAs, defined by electoral divisions.