The City of Trenton is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.   This system provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.  As in all Faulkner Act municipalities, citizens in the Mayor-Council system enjoy the right of initiative and referendum, meaning that proposed ordinances can be introduced directly by the people without action by the local governing body. This right is exercised by preparing a conforming petition signed by 10% of the registered voters who turned out in the last general election in an odd-numbered year. Once the petition is submitted, the local governing body can vote to pass the requested ordinance, and if it refused, it is then submitted directly to the voters.

Mill Hill residents are active in the political process of the City. Candidate forums organized by the OMHS are essential campaign stops for anyone seriously running for city-wide office.

County Government

Trenton is the county seat of Mercer County.   Mercer County is 226 square miles large and is home to more than 350,000 residents.   Mercer County's County Executive is Brian M. Hughes. The Executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders, administer all county business. Mercer County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Pasquale "Pat" Colavita, Jr.  Freeholder Vice Chair Lucylle R. S. Walter , Keith V. Hamilton, Ann M. Cannon, Anthony P. Carabelli, Tony Mack, and Elizabeth Maher Muoio .

State and Federal Government

The New Jersey State House in Trenton is the second oldest state house in the country and is the seat of the New Jersey Legislature.   The 15th legislative district of the state legislature is represented in the state senate by Shirley Turner (D, Ewing) and in the Assembly by Reed Gusciora (D, Trenton) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Trenton). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).  The Governor's mansion, Drumthwacket, is located in Princeton, just a short drive from Trenton, but is not currently used as the Governor's primary residence. 

 Trenton is spread across two congressional districts - the Fourth Congressional District and the Twelfth Congressional District - and is part of New Jersey's 15th Legislative District.  New Jersey's 4th Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Mercer County, Monmouth County and Ocean County, is represented by Christopher Smith(R). New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, covering all of Hunterdon County and portions of Middlesex County, Mercer County, Monmouth County, Morris County, and Somerset County, is represented by Rush D. Holt Jr.(D). New Jersey is represented in the U.S. Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).