Millbrae was incorporated on January 14, 1948 and was originally purchased by Darius Ogden Mills in the 1860s from the Sanchez family. The name Millbrae derives from a combination of his name and the word Brae (Scottish for rolling hills).
The City Council consists of five members and meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the City Council Chambers inside City Hall. The meetings are televised live on cable channel 27 and re-broadcast on the Wednesday following the Council meeting at 10am, 2pm and 7:00pm, and on Saturdays at 3:30pm.
Council members do not have offices in City Hall, but can be reached through this form and Mayor Marge Colapietro can be reached at mcolapietro@ci.millbrae.ca.us. At the state level, Democrat Leland Yee represents Millbrae in the Senate, and Democrat Jerry Hill represents Millbrae in the Assembly.
City Hall has several volunteer opportunities available, from helping renovate the building to park cleanup days and youth sport coaches.