City Government 1889–1974
The city of Oxford became a County Borough on 9 November 1889, and at the same time its boundaries were extended to include Cowley St John, Grandpont, and New Hinksey.
There were now four City wards, with 36 councillors and twelve aldermen selected by councillors from their own number.
The University formed a separate ward, with three aldermen and nine councillors, thus forming a fifth of the new council: this arrangement survived until 1974. These university councillors had no political affiliation. Three were elected by Convocation (the dons' parliament); six by the heads and senior bursars of colleges; and another three aldermen were elected by the nine university councillors.
The Council took over the duties of the Board of Health, the Market Committee, and the Police Committee.
In 1894, a decision was taken to divide the principal officer posts on political grounds: the post of Town Clerk was given to the Conservatives, and those of city accountant and solicitor to the Liberals.
Until 1945, the large wards to the east (Cowley, Iffley, Headington, and Marston) came under the county seat of Henley, and did not elect Oxford city councillors.
In 1958 Labour became the largest party on the council for the first time, but they did not achieve overall control until 1972.
In 1967 the city was reorganized into 15 wards, each with three councillors: North, South, East, West, St Clements, Wolvercote, Cherwell, Marston, Headington, Quarry, Wood Farm, Blackbird Leys, Cowley, Iffly, Donnington. As a result, 30 out of the 45 councillors came from east of Magdalen Bridge, compared with 18 out of 42 previously.
In 1970 18- to 20-year-olds got the vote, and a Court of Appeal ruling in 1971 declared that students (previously regarded as "visitors") could vote where they studied.