Durham County Council elections are held every four years. Durham County Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of County Durham. The county council was first created in 1889 as an upper-tier authority, had its powers and territory reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and became a unitary authority in 2009, when the lower-tier district councils in the area were abolished. Since becoming a unitary authority, 126 councillors have been elected from 63 wards.