The Irvine City Council is the elected governing body for the City of Irvine, California, made up of a Mayor and six district Councilmembers who together hold all legislative authority for the city. The council sets local policy, passes ordinances, approves zoning and development, adopts the municipal budget, and hires the City Manager who runs day-to-day operations. Irvine has used a council-manager form of government since it incorporated on December 28, 1971.
Who Sits on the Council
The council has seven seats: one Mayor elected citywide, and six Councilmembers, each elected by voters in a specific geographic district and required to live there.1Orange County Registrar of Voters. Ballot Measures-D This structure is new. Until voters approved Measure D at the March 5, 2024, special election, Irvine had a five-member council with every seat elected at-large, meaning every voter chose every seat.2City of Irvine. City of Irvine – City Council Measure D added two seats and drew six voting districts.
The district boundaries follow “Map 151,” the city’s first voting district map. Residents can find their assigned district through the interactive tool on the city’s redistricting site.3City of Irvine. Selected Map The Mayor remains the sole at-large seat, accountable to the whole city, while each neighborhood now has a Councilmember tied to it.
What the Council Does
Irvine is a charter city, so the council draws its authority from the Irvine City Charter along with the California Constitution and state law. The charter gives the council broad control over local affairs.4City of Irvine. Get Involved in Local Government Its core work falls into four buckets.
- Budget. The council adopts the biennial operating budget. The 2026–2027 budget totals roughly $312 million, with top spending on police and public safety, schools, and community services like parks, libraries, and senior programs.
- Ordinances. The council enacts and amends the local laws that govern conduct, property, and city operations.
- Land use. The council is the final approval authority for zoning changes, development projects, and amendments to the General Plan.
- Appointments. The council hires the City Manager, who serves at its direction, and appoints other city officials.
Land use is where most disputes end up. When anyone — a property owner, the Planning Commission, the Director of Community Development, or the council itself — wants to change the General Plan, the request goes through staff review, environmental analysis, public notice, and a public hearing. The Planning Commission recommends; the council decides.5City of Irvine Website. General Plan Amendment Process
Meetings and How to Participate
Regular council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at One Civic Center Plaza. The City Clerk posts the agenda at least one week ahead of each regular meeting, longer than the 72 hours required by California’s Brown Act.6City of Irvine. City Council Agendas Agenda packets are available at City Hall and online once posted.
The Brown Act requires that council deliberations happen in open session. Action taken in violation of that transparency requirement can be challenged in court and potentially voided. Residents may address the council on any topic within its authority, whether or not it is on the agenda, during designated public comment periods.6City of Irvine. City Council Agendas
To speak in person, register at the electronic kiosk at the entrance to the Council Chamber. Speakers are generally limited to three minutes.6City of Irvine. City Council Agendas If you cannot attend, the city’s e-comment system lets you submit written comments on specific agenda items. Comments submitted before a meeting begins become part of the official record and are posted on the city’s website, and you can also submit e-comments while a meeting is underway.7City of Irvine Website. City Council Meetings
There is an earlier point of entry. The council relies on advisory commissions of resident volunteers who review issues before a formal council vote. The standing bodies are the Planning Commission, Finance Commission, Transportation Commission, and Community Services Commission, along with committees for public art, investments, child care, and veterans’ housing.8City of Irvine. Commissions and Committees Because commissioners often shape the staff recommendations the council relies on, engagement at the commission stage tends to carry more weight than a comment at the final hearing.
Elections, Terms, and Term Limits
General municipal elections take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. Seats are staggered so only some appear on the ballot in a given cycle, which prevents a complete turnover at once.9City of Irvine. Election Information
Term lengths differ by office. Each district Councilmember serves a four-year term. The Mayor serves a two-year term.1Orange County Registrar of Voters. Ballot Measures-D Candidates must be registered voters and residents of Irvine, and Councilmember candidates must live in the district they seek to represent.9City of Irvine. Election Information
No one may serve more than two full terms as Mayor, and no one may serve more than two full terms as a Councilmember. The charter treats the two offices separately, so someone who has served two terms as a Councilmember may still run for Mayor, and the reverse also works. A partial term counts as a full term if it exceeds one year for the Mayor or two years for a Councilmember.9City of Irvine. Election Information That rule matters most when someone is appointed to fill a vacancy, because the length of the time remaining determines whether it burns one of their two allowed terms.
Irvine sets its own local campaign contribution limits under Municipal Code sections 1-2-401 through 1-2-405, adjusted each two-year election cycle for the consumer price index. Because Irvine has its own limits, the statewide default under Assembly Bill 571 does not apply. Current and historical caps appear in the contribution limits matrix on the city’s website.10City of Irvine. Campaign Financing
Vacancies and Recall
When a council seat opens mid-term, the remaining members may appoint a replacement. If they cannot agree, the city must hold a special election. Reaching agreement can be difficult with an even number of remaining members, and special elections cost the city significant money, which pushes the council toward compromise on an appointment.
California law also lets voters recall any local elected official through a petition process. A recall cannot be launched against an officeholder who has been in office for fewer than 90 days of the current term, or whose term ends within six months. Petitions are filed with the City Clerk and require signatures from a percentage of registered voters in the jurisdiction. For jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters, the threshold is 10 percent; smaller jurisdictions face higher percentages, up to 30 percent for those under 1,000 registered voters.11California Secretary of State. Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials
Council Compensation
Irvine Councilmembers have historically been paid modestly. As of early 2025, base salary was $880 per month, among the lower rates for cities of Irvine’s size, and the council considered raising it to $3,308 per month. In addition to base pay, members receive an annual auto allowance of $8,580, a small pension, and insurance premium coverage, though some members opt out of the city-sponsored insurance. Members who sit on regional boards on behalf of the city may also receive meeting stipends for that service.