After the war, the Government promulgated the “Plans for Establishing Representative Organizations at Different Levels” on December 26, 1945, to promote the basis of local self-government. In 1946, according to the promulgated regulations of the "Organization Act of City Senates" and "Election Act of City Senators", following voter registration under oath and the review and screening of candidates to civil service procedures, district representatives were elected at village town hall meetings through anonymous voting and 31 senators were elected on March 24. On April 13, the Kaohsiung City Senate was formally established. On January 11, 1951, the senate was renamed Kaohsiung City Council and continued for 9 terms as a provincial city council until June 30, 1979. On July 1, 1979, Kaohsiung was reorganized into a municipality, and the council was reorganized into the Provisional Kaohsiung City Council. On December 25, 1981, the councilors of the first Council of Kaohsiung special municipality were inaugurated. After the implementation of Special Municipality Autonomy Law on July 29, 1994 and the enforcement of the Local Government Act since January 25, 1999, the functions and authorities of the City Council have become more and more complete, and democratic politics more realized, as local autonomy entered a new era.

After the recovery of Taiwan, the Government established the first Kaohsiung County Senate on April 15, 1946. Upon the completion of adjustment in administrative district division between Kaohsiung County and Pingtung County, the government proclaimed the implementation for local self-government and adopted a universal suffrage system in 1951. The Kaohsiung County Council was established on January 11 of the same year and continued for 16 terms until the city-county consolidation on December 25, 2010.

The Kaohsiung City Council, after 9 terms as a provincial city council, 1 term as provisional city council, and 7 terms as a municipality city council, and the Kaohsiung County Council, after 15 terms, entered a new era after the city-county consolidation on December 25, 2010. The new Kaohsiung City Council, composed of 66 councilors elected by citizens of the greater Kaohsiung area, strive to make an all-out-effort to build a vibrant and magnificent international harbor city.