The council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

Council-Manager form of government, with seven Council members elected at-large.

Under the new charter, the City government now consisted of 3 departments: Public Safety, Public Works and Finance with one elected Commissioner responsible for each department.

The Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety was the ex officio Mayor; and the elections process included the use of a preferential ballot form.

The residents of the town of Santa Monica voted to incorporate November 30, 1886, and chose a board of five trustees.