Paris is governed under the Commission form of municipal government. A mayor and four commissioners make up the City Council and are elected citywide on a non-partisan basis to serve four-year terms. All other city officials and employees are appointed. The five members of the City Council individually supervise various operating departments. An appointed city administrator has supervision of day-to-day municipal operations. The city operates with an annual budget of around $11 million, including the city operated water and sanitary sewage utilities, and capital improvements. Advisory boards include the city library municipal board, planning commission, parks and recreation, and historic preservation. City offices and council chambers are located at 123 South Central Avenue.
Paris is the county seat of Edgar County. Heading the county government is the Edgar County Board of seven members elected for four year terms on a partisan basis from seven equal population districts in the county. County officials also are elected for four terms, including:

County Clerk        Rebecca Kraemer  217-466-7433
Circuit Clerk         Karen Halloran      217-466-7447
Sheriff                 Tim Crippes           217-465-4166
State's Attorney    Matt Sullivan         217-466-7456
Treasurer             Don Wiseman        217-466-7446
Coroner               Pete Templeton     217-466-9040

Public Safety:
The Paris Police Department and the Paris Fire Department share a modern headquarters building just west of the City Hall.

The Police Department has an authorized strength of 17 officers and detectives and a support staff of five. The Department supports a DARE (drug prevention) program for elementary students, and a School Resource Officer assigned full time to work with the city school district. Officers also sponsor a "Shop With A Cop" Christmas program for disadvantaged children, and have sponsored an Explorer Scout Post.

The Paris Fire Department is a full-time force with 15 fire fighters with the latest in technology and equipment. The department has a cooperative agreement with the Paris Community Fire Protection District, one of the largest in the state, with stations in four county locations as well as Paris. The department operates accident rescue equipment, a dive team and conducts school education programs and fire safety inspections. The city fire insurance rating is 5.

The Edgar County Sheriff's Department has headquarters at the county jail and operates with a staff of eight road patrol deputies and jail staff in addition to the sheriff. The Illinois State Police District 10 provides state highway patrol for the county and assists in special events, traffic control and drug investigation.

Edgar County operates an enhanced "911" Emergency Telephone System with the primary dispatching center at the Edgar County jail, and a fully duplicated backup center at the Paris Police Department.

Twenty-four hour emergency ambulance service is operated by Edgar County S.S.A. Ambulance Inc. Privately owned by Dee Burgin Owner/Manager, covering Paris and the southeastern half of the county. The ambulance is staffed by a combination of advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics. The Paris Community Hospital at the southeast edge of the city has a 24-hour physician-staffed emergency department with full ancillary support. A hospital helipad provides air evacuation to major trauma centers in Illinois or Indiana when needed.

Utilities: Municipal water is supplied by two surface reservoirs (Twin Lakes). The city treatment plant has a capacity of 3 million gallons per day and averages 1.5 mgd. The sewage treatment plant handles in excess of one million gallons daily.

The primary electrical suppliers for the Paris area are Ameren CIPS and EnerStar Power; a rural electric cooperative. Under the state's electric deregulation statute businesses may select their electric supplier and residential customers can by 2002. AMEREN CIPS supplies natural gas.

Communications: GTE North supplies telephone service. The city is served by fibre optic cable for high-speed data transmission. Cable television service is supplied by Charter Communications. Paris High School operates a cable channel station telecasting live sports and entertainment events, as well as pubic meetings. The Paris Beacon-News is a daily newspaper published at 218 N. Main street reporting local, state and national news. It has been in continuous publication n Paris since 1848 and at it's present location for more than 100 years.

WPRS-WACF radio stations broadcast from studios at the west edge of Paris on Illinois's Route 133. In addition to the cable TV service or satellite reception, five broadcast television stations cover the Paris area.