Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously carried out by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions.

For the ceremonial purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty, those two districts were restored to Somerset as part of the 1996 reforms.

[11][12] The first proposal to create a Somerset unitary authority was made in 2007,[13] but was rejected in a local referendum.

[15] The county council drew up initial plans for a single unitary authority in 2018.

[17] A non-binding referendum of residents held in June 2021 expressed a preference for the two-authority proposal.

[48] In January 2013, Ofsted inspectors gave Somerset Councils' Children’s Services the lowest rating of "inadequate".

[49] In January 2015, Ofsted reinspected the Children’s Services Department and concluded that it remained "inadequate".

The report also identified managers who "have not been able to demonstrate sufficient understanding of failures" and had been ineffective in "prioritising, challenging and making improvements".

The report found that services for children needing help and protection required improvement, as did leadership, management and governance.

The inspectors concluded that too many children in foster care experienced moves between placements before they were found the right home.

Further proposed cuts include reducing winter gritting, suspending 'park and ride' services, stopping funding for Citizens Advice, cutting adult social care and support for people with learning difficulties, cuts to the GetSet programme which helps stop vulnerable young people needing social care.

[53][54] In July 2018, two senior Conservative councillors resigned over concerns regarding the council's handling of financial matters.

[55] An official audit of the council criticised its "pervasive" overspending and its failure to deliver sufficient savings over the previous 12 months.

[56] In September 2018, the council voted through £28 million of spending cuts, spread over the next two years.

Critics of the cuts, including Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, noted that between 2009 and 2016, Somerset's Conservative administration had voted to freeze Council Tax, when an increase of 1.9% would have brought in an additional £114 million.