The present structure of the Local Government system in Trinidad dates back to the colonial period. Prior to 1990, there existed a system of County Councils which consisted of two cities and seven County Councils. In the case of Tobago, the Tobago House of Assembly (inaugurated in 1980) is responsible for all local government along with some central government functions.

There was an almost incessant debate concerning the structure of the local government system as existed in Trinidad that dated back to the colonial era. The primary view expressed was that the local government system was in a state of crisis. Some of the factors attributed to the crisis were:

• County Councils operated virtually as departments of the Ministry responsible for Local Government
• County Councils and the existing boroughs of Arima and Point Fortin were not equipped with appropriate professional staffing in the fields of engineering, accountancy and industrial relations.
• Poor resource management - human, financial and material.
•  Low profile of Local Government matters.

Major reform of the local government system was undertaken in 1990 with the enactment by Parliament of the Municipal Corporations Act #21 of 1990 which increased the Local Government bodies from eleven (11) to eighteen (18) and consolidated all the different pieces of Local Government legislation. Reform was again undertaken in 1992 by the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act #8 of 1992 which reduced the number of Local Government bodies to fourteen (14). As a result of these reforms, the current system of Local Government consists of fourteen (14) Municipal Corporations as follows:

    Port of Spain City Corporation
    San Fernando City Corporation
    Arima Borough Corporation

    Point-Fortin Borough Corporation

    Chaguanas Borough Corporation
    Sangre Grande Regional Corporation

    Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation

    San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation

    Diego Martin Regional Corporation

    Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation

    Penal/Debe Regional Corporation

    Siparia Regional Corporation

    Princes Town Regional Corporation

    Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation

Nominated members are selected by majority vote of elected members and must possess demonstrated knowledge, expertise or experience in professional or vocational occupations suitable to the development of focus of the particular Municipality or Region concerned.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation will be the Mayor or Chairman of the respective City, Borough or Region in which the Corporation has jurisdiction and is elected by the members of the Corporation.