The City of Chamblee operates under a mayor and council-city manager form of government. The Chamblee City Council is comprised of a mayor and five council members. The City is divided into three council districts and two at-large districts. One council member is elected from each of the three districts and two council members are elected from the city at large. The council members who are elected for the three districts must live in the district that they represent but all five council members are elected by a city-wide vote.

The Council enacts ordinances, establishes policy, adopts the annual budget, and establishes the ad valorem tax rate for each year. The City Manager is responsible for implementing the policies set forth by the Council, overseeing all City employees, and managing the day to day operations of the City.