The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenities, arts and culture, and environment.

Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote.

The city and county administration is headed by a chief executive, Seán McKeown.

Waterford City and County Council has two representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the South-East Strategic Planning Area Committee.

[3] Members of Waterford City and County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas.