Colombo Municipal Council

Colombo is a charter city, with a Mayor Council form of government. Colombo's mayor and the council members are elected through local government elections held once in four years. It has 16 standing committees on various subjects.

The Colombo Municipal Council under the Municipal Council Ordinance have several elected and appointed officers. These are:

1. Mayor
2. Deputy Mayor
3. Municipal Magistrate
4. Municipal Commissioner
5. Municipal Secretary
6. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Engineering services)
7. Municipal Treasurer
8. Chief Medical Officer Of Health
9. Chief Municipal Veterinary Surgeon
10. Municipal Assessor
11. Chief Librarian
12. Charity Commissioner
13. Chief Fire Officer

The Mayor serves as the head of the council assisted by a Deputy Mayor. A Municipal Commissioner heads the staff and administration municipal, which is made up of 16 departments. The Municipal Commissioner is appointed by the minister of local government or which ever minister the subject is vested under. Usually the appointment would be made from an officer seconded from the Sri Lanka Administrative Service. In the absence of the mayor or deputy mayor or following the end of term of the council, the commissioner would serve as the officer implementing the powers and functions of the Colombo municipal council. Municipal Commissioner is entitled to use of Park House, Colombo as an official residence which is a 16 bedroom mansion at Albert Crescent, Colombo 7.[https://www.newsfirst.lk/2015/01/cmc-gets-new-municipal-commissioner/ CMC gets a new Municipal Commissioner]{{cite web |title=Former Municipal Commissioners yet to hand over official residences |url=https://www.newsfirst.lk/2020/06/25/former-municipal-commissioners-yet-to-hand-over-official-residences/ |website=newsfirst.lk |access-date=14 December 2020}}

The Colombo municipal council is made up of 16 departments. These include:

• Mayor's Office
• Municipal Treasurer’s Department
• Municipal Secretary Department
• Municipal Engineer’s Department
• Municipal Health Department
• Municipal Veterinary Department
• Curative Department
• Indigenous Health Department
• Public Library Department (Colombo Public Library)
• Public Assistance Department
• Legal Department
• Sports and Recreation Department
• Training and Development Department
• Municipal Assessor’s Department
• Central Procurement Department
• Fire Service Department (Colombo Fire Brigade)

The municipal council is responsible for:

• Urban planning, architectural designs
• Sanitation (waste, sewage)
• Health and environmental issues
• Emergency services (not policing, which is the responsibility of the central government)
• Social service
• Road management

The Colombo Municipal Council covers the Colombo and Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat Divisions. According to the 2011-12 Census the population living within the boundaries of the CMC was 555,031. Of this number, 318,048 lived in the Colombo DSD (the Northern part of the city) and 236,983 lived in the Thimbirigasyaya DSD (the Southern part).{{cite web | url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop31&gp=Activities&tpl=3 | title=Census of Population and Housing 2011 | access-date=2014-10-23 | archive-date=2014-10-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028054033/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop31&gp=Activities&tpl=3 | url-status=dead }}

For the past 50 years the city had been dominated by the United National Party (UNP), a right leaning party, whose business friendly policies resonate with the population of Colombo. The UNP as held majority in the council and post of Mayor since the party was formed in 1947, with two brief exceptions. In 1954, the UNP lost the municipal election to the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and Dr N. M. Perera was elected Mayor. The LSSP won several local government elections that year including nine Village Councils and three Urban Councils, apart from the Colombo Municipal Council.{{cite book |last1=Alexander |first1=Robert Jackson |title=International Trotskyism, 1929-1985: A Documented Analysis of the Movement}} In 2006, the UNP nomination list for the 2006 Municipal elections was rejected,[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2006/02/060216_colombo.shtml Colombo UNP list rejected], BBC News, February 16, 2006 and an Independent Group supported by the UNP won the elections.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2006/05/060521_cmc_election.shtml Independent group wins CMC], BBC News, May 21, 2006 Uvais Mohamed Imitiyas was subsequently appointed Mayor of Colombo.[http://www.sundaytimes.lk/060528/index.html Rotational mayors as Colombo gets trishaw driver as her 1st citizen], Sunday Times, May 28, 2006 The former Mayoress Rosy Senanayake, the first female Mayor of Colombo, was elected in 2018 representing the UNP.

Colombo as the largest city and former capital of Sri Lanka, has been at the center of Sri Lankan politics. The Colombo municipal council has been an entry route for many politicians. Four national leaders, which includes two presidents, J. R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa; one prime minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, and an independence activist Vivienne Goonewardene started their political career by contesting for the Colombo municipal council.

The Colombo Municipal Council Municipal Council is divided into 47 wards and is represented by 117 councillors, elected using an open list proportional representation system.{{Cite web |date=22 June 2025 |title=Colombo Municipal Council - Ward Results |url=https://results.elections.gov.lk/?page=ward_result&district=COLOMBO&lg_code=001&lg_name=COLOMBO-MUNICIPAL-COUNCIL |url-status=live |access-date=6 May 2025 |website=Election Commission of Sri Lanka}}

Results of the local government election held on 6 May 2025.{{Cite web |last=Newsfirst.lk |title=Sri Lankan Local Authority Election 2025 – Sri Lanka {{!}} Live Results and Live Stream - newsfirst.lk |url=https://election.newsfirst.lk/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=election.newsfirst.lk |language=en}}

Results of the local government election held on 10 February 2018.{{Cite web |last=Newsfirst.lk |title=Sri Lankan Local Authority Election 2025 – Sri Lanka {{!}} Live Results and Live Stream - newsfirst.lk |url=https://election.newsfirst.lk/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=election.newsfirst.lk |language=en}}

Results of the local government election held on 10 February 2018.{{Cite web |date=10 August 2011 |title=Local Authorities Elections Results 2011 |url=https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/local-authorities-elections/local-authorities-2011.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=24 June 2025 |website=Election Commission of Sri Lanka}}

• Local government in Sri Lanka
• Municipal councils of Sri Lanka

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.colombo.mc.gov.lk/ Colombo Municipal Council]

{{Colombo|state=collapsed}}

{{Municipal councils of Sri Lanka}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1866 establishments in Ceylon

Category:Local authorities in Western Province, Sri Lanka

Category:Municipal councils of Sri Lanka