As an incorporated municipality, the rights and responsibilities of its local government are outlined in the B.C. Municipal Act. Despite its population of less than 2500, which would ordinarily have qualified it as a village, Fort St. James was incorporated under the Act as a District because it includes an area greater than 800 hectares and has an average population density of less than 5 persons per hectare. The District is currently governed by a Mayor and four councilors, all of whom are elected to and are members of the District Council. The Mayor is also the head and chief executive officer of the municipality. In general, council meetings are presided over by the mayor.
Regular meetings are open to the public and minutes of the meeting are available for public view.
The residents of the District of Fort St. James also belong to the larger, Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. The powers of regional districts generally are also outlined in the Municipal Act. The mayors of each of the villages, towns, cities and districts within the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District holds an official seat on the Regional District Board. The Canadian Constitution dictates which rights and responsibilities belong to the federal government and which belong to the provincial governments. Provinces have authority over all matters considered to be of a merely local or private nature in the province.