Compton Parish Council was one of the earliest established parish councils, as it was set up shortly after civil parishes were formed in 1894. Seven councillors make up the full entitlement, and decisions not requiring input by a full council can be made, as long as the council is quorate, which means having three councillors in attendance. Parish councillors are elected every 4 years. If there are insufficient candidates to warrant an election, councillors can be co-opted. The next election will be in May 2027, when all councillors must stand down but can be invited to be re-elected unless a full election is needed (i.e. if there are more than seven prospective candidates).

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Compton Parish Council receives a precept that forms a small percentage of the council tax paid to Guildford Borough Council. The Parish Council receives payments for burial plots and an annual payment from Watts Gallery as part of the management agreement undertaken in 2014. Grants can also be applied for community-based work and projects.

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The Clerk to the Council is also the Responsible Finance Officer (RFO). Updates on the council's accounts are minuted throughout the year, and the audited annual accounts are published.

The Council has a running list of projects, jobs, reports, etc. and progress is periodically updated and reported with the minutes of each meeting, meetings being held on the 3rd Wednesday of every other month (starting in January).

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The Parish Council is the registered owner of the allotments, which are managed by the Allotment Society. It is also the registered owner of Watts Chapel and Cemetery, which is managed by Watts Gallery Trust.