The County Council is a public body, so its activities are governed by strict requirements of the State "sunshine law," which requires open sessions for all meetings with certain prescribed exceptions. The Council generally meets each Tuesday beginning at 9:00 a.m. and in committees on Mondays and Thursdays. Almost all Council sessions are open to the public and are broadcast live and repeated on the County Government cable channel, Montgomery Cable 6. Some committee sessions of special public interest are also broadcast.

The laws strictly define the circumstances when the Council is either required or permitted to go into a "closed session." These include, for example, the discussion of personnel issues such as performance or selection, to discuss the purchase of land by the government, or to receive advice from attorneys.

Major decisions of the Council are governed by the same procedures that apply to legislation: the measure is introduced in public session, a public hearing is advertised and held, there are public Committee and/or Council worksessions, and the final decision is made in a public session.