Portsmouth City Council is the local authority of the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services, including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, waste collection, and disposal, and it is a local education authority.

Portsmouth had been an ancient borough. In 1836, it underwent reform to become a municipal borough, ruled by a body also known as the town council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Portsmouth was considered large enough to run its own services, so it was made a county borough, independent from Hampshire County Council.^[1]

Portsmouth was granted city status on 21 April 1926, after which the corporation was also known as Portsmouth City Council.^[2] The powers of the council were substantially reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming a non-metropolitan district with Hampshire County Council providing county-level services to the city. Portsmouth regained its independence from Hampshire County Council on 1 April 1997, when it was made a unitary authority.^[3]

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Portsmouth is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Portsmouth City Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and a district council combined. In its capacity as a district council, it is a billing authority, collecting council tax and business rates; processing local planning applications; and it is responsible for housing, waste collection, Trading Standards, and environmental health. It functions as a Port Health Authority for its surrounding waters.^[4] In its capacity as a unitary council, it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries, and waste disposal.

Portsmouth City Council consists of 42 councillors, with one third of the council being elected every four years, electing one out of three councillors for each of the city's 14 wards.

The following parties have held political sway over the council since its first election in 1973:

List of Portsmouth city councillors by ward:^[11]

• Portsmouth City Council elections