The legislative branch of the municipal government has operated under many official designations, outlined by the various city charters in place since the creation of the Spanish Cabildo in 1803. While many of these independant councils' records have been described separately, from roughly 1866 onward the records of the councils are described together here. This includes some records from the Common Council, records of the Commissions Council, and finally, records of the City Council enacted through the 1954 Home Rule Charter. The uniform term, City Council, is used here to describe this body of records.

Records of the City Council include:

• Official Proceedings
• Ordinances
• Zoning Dockets
• Petitions before the Council
• Correspondence
• Reports made by the Council
• Various Council Committee records
• Records of the Council Fiscal Office
• Records of the Council Research Office
• Records of the Council Utilities Regulatory Office
• Records from the Clerk of Council
• Photographs