Watford's first elected council was a local board established in 1850, prior to which the town had been administered by the parish vestries.

[4] Such local boards were converted into urban district councils in 1894.

Watford Urban District was granted borough status in 1922, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

[5] The Local Government Act 1972 reconstituted Watford as a non-metropolitan district with effect from 1 April 1974; it kept the same boundaries and its borough status, but there were changes to the council's responsibilities.

The first elections to the borough council as reformed under the Local Government Act 1972 were held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974.