The civic administration of the city is managed by the Mysore City Corporation, which was established as a municipality in 1888 and later converted into a corporation in 1977. The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) is headed by a Mayor. The Corporation comprises 65 wards with an Corporator for each ward, elected by the citizens of Mysore every five years. Mayor is elected by Corporators (also known as council members). The Commissioner, Health Officer, and Engineers in charge of health, water supply and sanitation, form part of the executive branch.

Mysore City Corporation was the second best city municipal corporation among 65 cities covered under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) and was given the "Nagara Ratna" award in 2011. The annual budget of the Corporation for the year 2011–2012 was Rs.426.96 crore.

Kaveri and Kabini rivers are the main source of drinking water for Mysore. Mysore city got its first piped water supply in 1896. The city gets 42.5 million gallons water per day. Mysore city had an underground drainage system since 1904. The entire sewage from the city drains into four valleys: Kesare, Malalavadi, Dalavai and Belavatha. Mysore was rated the second cleanest city in India in 2010 and the cleanest in Karnataka by the Urban Development Ministry under the national urban sanitation policy.

MUDA (Mysore Urban Development Authority) is responsible for creation of new sections (layouts), zoning and expansion of the city. The electrical supply to the city is managed by the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation. The Mysore Zilla Parishad is responsible for the rural sections of the taluk. Apart from these agencies, there are several others that play a very important role in the city’s functioning and governance. These include: Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB), Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD), Department of Archaeology and Museums, Lake Development Authority and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC)

The Indian National Congress (INC); the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); and the Janata Dal(Secular) (JDS) are the prominent political parties in the city. The citizens of Mysore elect four representatives to the Legislative assembly of Karnataka through the constituencies of Chamaraja, Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja and Chamundeshwari. Mysore city, being a part of the larger Mysore Lok Sabha constituency, also elects one member to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.