The City Council (Stadtrat) is the main political body of the city. It is democratically elected every five years by the citizens of Oldenburg and is made up of the 50 elected council members as well as the Mayors who are also directly elected by Oldenburg's citizens.

The City Council is responsible for the final decisions on town planning schemes, stipulation of public dues such as fees, contributions and taxes, passing the budget bye-law and making decisions about taking out loans.

The members of the City Council are generally members of a party and form factions or groups in the Council itself. The parliamentary delegates normally work in several specialist committees of the City Council which prepare documents with specialist expertise to assist the decision-making process of the Council.

The members of the City Council work on a voluntary basis. In addition to being members of the Council, they work in a wide range of professions. They receive an allowance for the work they do for the Council.