The city corporation is governed by a council of 101 members, headed by the
Mayor. The members of the Council are elected every five years, with the latest election having been in 2025. It constitutes Standing Committees for exercising its powers, discharging such duties or performing such functions as are provided for in the
Kerala Municipalities Act. The Mayor is elected by the councilors from among themselves. They chair Council meetings and are responsible for the overall supervision and control of the administrative functions of the Municipal Corporation. The Deputy Mayor is the Chairman of the Finance Standing Committee and also presides over the Council meetings during the absence of the Mayor. The Secretary of the TMC is a civil servant appointed by the Kerala Government. The law and order of the city is handled by the
Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner. The total police strength in the city including the Armed Reserve camp at Nandavanam and the SAP camp at Peroorkada, is about 4,500. The corporation was originally (in 1940) divided into 24 wards, covering an area of 30.66 km2. Through the years, the city corporation has grown to 101 wards, and now the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Council is the second largest democratically elected body in Kerala after the Legislative Assembly. == Office holders ==