Codd was a member of the board of aldermen from 1902 to 1904. He was elected mayor of Detroit and served from 1905 to 1906, but his support for compromise fares for the Detroit Street Railway turned public opinion against him, and he was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election. He was a delegate to the 1908 Republican National Convention. He served as regent of the University of Michigan in 1910 and 1911. He was appointed circuit judge of Wayne County serving the 3rd Circuit from 1911 to 1921.