The Hartford City Common Council meets the 1st Monday of each month.

Members of the Common Council are part-time elected officials who serve for four years, and can run for re-election as often as they wish. As individuals, City Council members do not have significant statutory powers, but as a legislative body, the Council exercises many powers given. The main function of the Common Council is the appropriation of monies and approval of the annual budget. The Common Council sets the annual salaries of all elected officials. The Council also has the authority to annually adjust the salaries of members of the police and fire departments.

The Common Council also has legislative powers to create new ordinances for Hartford City. This includes a broad range of areas. The placement of stop signs, allowable levels of noise, and nuisance problems are a few examples of what the powers include.