Sarıçam district is administered by three levels of government; central government, provincial administration and the municipalities. Sarıçam Governorship is the district branch of the central government operating under the Adana Governorship. The chief executive of the Sarıçam district is the District Governor who is appointed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Sarıçam Governorship overseas the functioning of the district directorates of the ministries. Sarıçam directorate of the Adana Province Special Administration is the district branch of the provincial administration. Sarıçam district is represented with 5 members at the 61-member Adana Provincial Parliament. Sarıçam district is divided into Sarıçam municipality and the villages.
There is only one municipality incorporated in the Sarıçam district. Sarıçam Municipality is a lower tier municipality of City of Adana and serves the southern section of the district and it is further divided into neighborhoods. Sarıçam Municipality was incorporated in 2008 as a lower-tier municipality of the city of Adana, after the split of the northern section from Yüreğir district. The organs of the Sarıçam Municipality are the mayor, encümen and the municipal council. Mayor is the chief executive of the municipality, presides municipal departments and chairs the municipal council. Mayoral candidates are either nominated by National Parties or run independently. The mayor is elected by first past the post voting for a 5-year term. Bilal Uludağ is the mayor of Sarıçam since 2014. In the local elections in March 2014, he was elected with %47,7 of the popular votes.
Villages
Villages are the smallest administrative units outside the urban areas. Villages are administered by the muhtar and the Village Seniors Council. The council can have 4, 5 or 6 members depending on the population of the village. Unlike the neighborhood muhtars, village muhtars are granted special powers and the village administration is considered to be a governmental body. In Sarıçam district, there are total of 37 villages scattered at the northern section of the district.
Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods are administered by the muhtar and the Neighborhood Seniors Council consisting of 4 members. Muhtar and the Senior Council are elected for 5 years at the local elections and are not affiliated with political parties. Neighborhoods are not an incorporation therefore do not hold government status. Muhtar although being elected by the residents, acts merely as an administrator of the district governor. Muhtar also voices the neighborhood issues to the municipal hall together with the Seniors Council. Sarıçam has total of 29 neighborhoods, 17 of the neighborhoods are in the urban area, 12 of them are outside.
Neighborhoods in the urban area
There are 17 urban neighborhoods in the Sarıçam municipality. 4 of these neighborhoods are ceded from Yüreğir municipality and the rest are the neighborhoods of the former Sofulu, İncirlik and Buruk municipalities. Urban Neighborhoods ceded from Yüreğir district: The 4 neighborhoods are, Remzi Oğuz Arık, Çınarlı, Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Yıldırım Beyazıt. Sofulu: The 8 neighborhoods are, Esentepe, Orhangazi, Sofudede, Şahintepe, Yeşiltepe, Yavuz Sultan Selim, Beyceli and Gültepe. İncirlik: The 3 neighborhoods are, Hürriyet, Kemalpaşa and Yeni Mahalle. Buruk: The 2 neighborhoods are, İstiklal and Cumhuriyet.
Neighborhoods outside the urban area
As the city borders expanded the municipalities and villages in the new limits of the city are annexed to the city. Neighborhoods of the former municipalities and former villages then became part of the Sarıçam district as neighborhoods. There are total of 12 non-urban neighborhoods in Sarıçam. Non-urban neighborhoods ceded from Yüreğir district: The 4 neighborhoods are, Çarkıpare, Bayramhacılı, Boybuyoğun and Ayvalı Kürkçüler: The 4 neighborhoods are, Göztepe, Müminli, Yürekli and Dağcı. Suluca: The 2 neighborhoods are, Karşıyaka and Acıdere. Baklalı: The 2 neighborhoods are, Küçükbaklalı and Büyükbaklalı.
