Аннотация:The system of municipal management bodies formed at the present time in Russia aims at providing stable growth of the population's level of life, increasing social activity of citizens, as well as fuller implementation of the creative potential of self-governance and self-organization of all members of the local society. The key element and driving force for successful implementation of these goals is municipal service staff. The article reveals problems related to forming staff composition of officials working for the Russian municipal government bodies at the modern stage. It analyses the dynamism of the size and structural indicators related to the state of the municipal service staff. It sets issues about forming the staff reserve of the municipal service, staff provision and organization of the activity of municipal services in Russia. It analyzes methods related to the population's estimation of the quality of local government bodies' work. The analysis was made by using the data of foreign countries.