Since 1944 all but two of the mayors that have served have been from the United National Party (UNP), with one being a UNP-backed independent.
[3] Most powers are derived from the Municipal Council Ordinance No.
The Mayor serves as the chief executive of the municipal council.
[3] The municipal council is responsible for: The mayoral office is located at the Colombo Town Hall and the official mayoral residence is Sirinivasa.
Under the provisions of the Municipal Councils Ordinance the mayor and deputy mayor are ex-official Justice of the Peace and Unofficial Magistrates for the administrative district in which the municipality is situated for the duration of their tenure.