The council consists of the mayor plus twenty-four councillors appointed to serve a one-year term by the Selangor State Government.

MBPJ is responsible for public health and sanitation, waste removal and management, town planning, environmental protection and building control, social and economic development and general maintenance functions of urban infrastructure.

To overcome this problem, the State Government identified "Effingham Estate", a 1,200-acre rubber plantation in Jalan Klang Lama to create a new settlement known as Petaling Jaya.

The Mayor is an officer of the Federal Government appointed by the state administration after obtaining the consent of the Menteri Besar.

The previous and incumbent mayors are listed as below: Twenty-one councillors were sworn in on 18 January 2024,[4] while the other four vacancies were filled on 30 April 2024.