Town Council (Singapore)

In Singapore, a Town Council (TC) is an administrative body formed by one or more elected Member of Parliament (MPs), along with appointed residents, to manage the common property and day-to-day maintenance of Housing and Development Board (HDB) residential and commercial estates within a designated town. TCs are primarily responsible for estate management and operate under a limited form of local governance.

Unlike in many other countries, there are no separate local elections for TCs; their composition is determined by the outcomes of parliamentary general elections. As such, their leadership and structure are closely tied to national political boundaries and depends entirely on which MPs represent their constituencies at the national level. TCs do not possess legislative or executive powers independent of the national government and may change following electoral boundary revisions.

The scheme has drawn mixed responses. Supporters argue that it enhances MP accountability by linking estate management to elected representatives, allowing for more responsive and localised services. Critics, however, contend that this politicises municipal services, leading to uneven standards across constituencies and raising concerns about transparency. The absence of local elections also limits direct resident input, prompting some to call for a depoliticised approach to estate governance.

TCs often group together one or more constituencies to streamline the administration of estate maintenance and public services. Following the 2025 Singaporean general election, a total of 19 TCs were established throughout Singapore. Of these, 17 are overseen by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), while the remaining 2 are administered by the opposition Workers' Party (WP).