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Local government directory
Bakersfield, CA: council, meetings and contacts
Bakersfield is the 47th largest city in the United States with about 422,165 residents, in Kern. Here is who governs it, when they meet in public, and where the agendas are posted.
City government at a glance
- Form of government
- Council-manager
- Governing body
- Bakersfield City Council — 7 members
- Regular meetings
- Published on the official city website
- City Hall
- 1600 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301
- Main information line
- (661) 326-3724
- Population (2025 est.)
- 422,165 (2020 census: 403,455)
- County
- Kern
- Planning body
- Bakersfield Planning Commission
Seven council wards plus a directly elected mayor; a city manager administers the city.
Official links
The bodies that decide things in Bakersfield
| Body | What it decides | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield City Council | Ordinances, the city budget, zoning changes, contracts, police and fire funding | City website |
| Kern County Board of Supervisors | County budget, sheriff and jail, public health, elections administration, county roads | County website |
| Kern High School District board | School budget, boundaries, calendar, curriculum adoption, superintendent | District website |
| Bakersfield Planning Commission | Rezonings, site plans, variances and long-range land use recommendations | City website |
Questions people ask about Bakersfield government
How do I contact Bakersfield city government?
The main information line is (661) 326-3724. City Hall is at 1600 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301, and the official website is https://www.bakersfieldcity.us.
How do I speak at a Bakersfield public meeting?
Find the agenda for the meeting, check the sign-up deadline (many cities close the list before the meeting starts), prepare remarks for the posted time limit — usually two or three minutes — and state your name, your district and your specific ask.
No debates for Bakersfield yet. If something is on the council agenda — a rezoning, a fee increase, a transit change — open the first debate and invite both sides.
Start here if you are new to this
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