Series consists of sixteen minute books, five folders of correspondence and division lists and one poster from the Town and City Councils of Guelph dating from 1851 to 1962. These records document the deliberations and decisions of Council that affected life in Guelph and the operation and administration of city government. The minute books detail the date, meeting place, attendance, and a brief description of matters discussed, petitions and correspondence received for consideration, delegations appearing before Council, resolutions and by-laws passed, and other council business. Includes council correspondence, division lists, and a poster dating from 1901, proclaiming February 2, 1901 as a day of mourning for Queen Victoria's death. These records document the official business of Council and its actions.

The volumes are arranged chronologically by year. Loose correspondence and division lists have been filed separately from the minute books for conservation reasons.

Series consists of twelve bound minute books, documenting the decisions of the City of Guelph Finance Committee regarding the fiscal activities of the City. The minute books record the recommendations of the Finance Committee concerning the payment of department, commision, committee and board accounts, activities of the City's Treasurer and Auditors, tenders and quotations, petitions from Guelph citizens for taxation and assessment relief and the authorization of expenditures on behalf of the City of Guelph. These records document the activities of the Finance Committee in managing the City's finances.

The volumes are arranged chronologically by year.

Series consists of the minutes of Road and Bridge Committee meetings for the years 1869-1879. Included in this series are reports of the street inspector and the committee with respect to the condition, construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in the Town of Guelph, and committee recommendations to Council regarding the development and improvement of roads and bridges, sidewalks, and ditches. These records document the role of the committee in managing the development of Guelph's road transportation system.

It is believed that the Road and Bridge Committee was superceded by the Board of Works Committee in early 1879, as the mandates of these two committees overlap with respect to mandate over road, bridge and sidewalk construction and maintenance.

Series consists of three bound ledgers of meeting minutes of the Water Commissioners for the period 1878-1884 and 1907-1918. Included in this series are reports and recommendations of the commmissioners with respect to the development of the water supply system in Guelph, payment of accounts, and authorizations for water and sewage works. These records document the commission management of the water supply system in Guelph.

The volumes are arranged chronologically by year.

Series consist of sixty bound tax collector rolls, documenting the property taxes owed and received by the City of Guelph collector. These rolls include names of parties assessed, street and lot number, assessment value and amounts of real and personal property, school and city tax mill rate amounts, first and second tax instalments, local improvement charges, discounts or percentages added, remarks and tax amounts collected. These records document the City of Guelph's tax collection system.

The information recorded in the collector's roll is arranged by ward division. The volumes are arranged chronologically by year.

Series consists of two minute books detailing arbitration hearings regarding the separation of the City of Guelph from the County of Wellington in 1879 and the courtroom transcript of an investigation into the conduct of the Chief of Police of the City of Guelph. Included in this series are negotiations regarding the sharing of the costs of justice administration, court house, gaol, house of industry, and poor house maintenance, roads, equalization assessments, and the distribution of assets and liabilities between the county and the city. The records also include the courtroom transcription of the investigations into allegations of drunkenness against the City's Chief of Police.

The volumes are arranged chronologically by year.

Series consists of four bound minute books of the Board of Works Committee for the period 1879-1909. Included in this series are minutes of committee meetings, copies of committee reports to Council, and committee resolutions regarding the construction, maintenance and inspection of roads, bridges and sidewalks, damage claims, accounts payment, purchase of public works supplies, land appropriations, maintenance and construction work at the Water Works, local improvement assessments and charges, tenders for equipment, machinery and public works projects, and labour relations related issues. These records document the role of the committee in overseeing the management of public works in the City of Guelph.

The volumes have been arranged chronologically by year.

Series consists of four minutes books documenting the activities and decisions of the City of Guelph Board of Health for the years 1895-1967. Included in this series are the recording of meeting dates, places and times, items discussed, resolutions passed and related correspondence. These records document the mandate of the Board of Health to direct public health policy and practices in the City of Guelph.

The volumes are arranged chronologically by year.

Series consists of one bound volume of meeting minutes of the Water Works Committee for the period of 1896 to 1903. Included in this series are committee recommendations for the establishment of water rates, management of the Water Works plant, including the purchase of supplies and payment for labour, laying of water pipe throughout the city, account payments, water meter readings, tenders for water and sewage work, water treatment and filtration, protection of Guelph's water sources and reservoirs and committee correspondence. These records document the role of the committee in managing the Guelph's water system.

Series consists of one bound minute book of the Sewerage Committee for the period of 1901-1909. Included in this series are committee reports and recommendations for sewage disposal, waste water treatment, local improvement assesments, sewer pipe connections, construction and maintenance, payment of accounts, labour relations and salary issues for sewerage employees, and consideration of tenders for sewage disposal plant and sewer pipe connections work. These records document the role of the committee in directing sewerage operations in the City of Guelph.