The City of Hurst operates under the council-manager form of government in which the City Council is responsible for all City policy and the City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves at their pleasure. The City Council is composed of seven members. Six council members and the mayor are all elected at-large on a nonpartisan basis to serve overlapping two-year terms. The mayor is elected to serve a two-year term as presiding officer at City Council meetings and serves as the official head of the City for legislative and ceremonial purposes.

The City Council is the City's legislative and policy-making body. The City Council is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions necessary for governing the City, as well as for setting the direction of City policy. The City Manager is responsible for the overall administration of the City. This responsibility includes implementation of the City Council's goals and strategies. The City Manager, with the help of the staff, provides the City Council with the information needed to fulfill its legislative role.

In 1930, there were 400 local governments with the council-manager form of government nationwide. Today, there are over 2,835 local governments operating under the council-manager form of government. By December 1985, ICMA (International City Management Association) had verified the existence of the council-manager form of government in 2,775 U.S. and Canadian local governments.