It consists of nine council members, six representing a district of the city, and additional more at-large councilpersons.

This is partially due to South Bend's diverse and urbanized population which has traditionally favored modern liberalism.

In early 2021, the St. Joseph County Democratic Party Chairman at the time, Steve Wruble,[7] requested that Mayor James Mueller investigate two council members (Shelia Niezgodski and Canneth Lee) for non-city related income.

The letter (which was publicly released on March 5) also cited voter mistrust within the local Democratic Party, of which all the aforementioned politicians are affiliated with.

Wruble wrote: “even a perceived conflict of interest can leave serious political fallout and lead to voter mistrust.” Mueller, a critic of Wruble,[9] delivered a message that highlighted the fact that the private sector jobs of Lee and Niezgodski were well known before the two were elected, and that city attorneys had previously reviewed those jobs for any ethics violations.