City Clerk

Contact Information

201 4th Street SE
Room 135
Rochester, Mn 55904 (Map)

Phone: 507-328-2900
Fax: 507-328-2901
TDD: 507-328-2900

Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Department Contacts


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Payment Options

Regular Assessments

PENDING status -  no payments can be accepted until the project is assessed.  A hearing notice will be sent out prior to the council meeting to assess the property notifying the owner of the probable cost of the assessment.  After the Council approves the assessments, a Notice of Special Assessment is sent out to individual property owners.

DEFERRED status - interest accrues on the balance and no payment can be made until the project is changed to “current” or “assessed”.

ADOPTED status - the assessment amount has been adopted by the Council, but the project is not substantially complete.

  1. You can make partial payments (of at least $50).
  2. You can pay the amount in full
  3. When the project is substantially completed, a Notice of Special Assessment is sent out.
CURRENT status – a notice of Special Assessment is sent to individual property owners.
  1. You can make partial payments (of at least $50).
  2. You can pay the amount in full
  3. You can do nothing - principal plus interest is spread over the property taxes
Notice of Special Assessment
  1. The notice of special assessment gives the property owner 30 days to pay the entire balance without interest (The deadline to pay without interest is given on the notice.)
  2. A property owner can make partial payments of at least $50 (and the balance will be spread over taxes).
  3. A property owner can let the assessment be put onto property taxes.  The amortization schedule, showing the amount of principal and interest for each year, will be printed on the bottom of the notice of special assessment.

Miscellaneous Assessments

PENDING status - Initial notices and initial billings are sent out by the originating department – subsequent monthly billings are sent out by the City Clerk’s Office.

  1. You can pay the bill in full
  2. You  can make partial payments of at least $50
CURRENT status - In November, any miscellaneous billings that remain unpaid are assessed against the property.  Hearing notices are sent out to individual property owners and after the hearing, a Notice of Special Assessment is sent to each property owner giving payment options.
  1. You can pay the bill in full
  2. You can do nothing – principal plus interest is spread over the property taxes
Notice of Special Assessment
  1. The notice of special assessment gives the property owner 30 days to pay the entire balance without interest (The deadline to pay without interest is given on the notice.)
  2. A property owner can let it go onto property taxes. The amortization schedule, showing the amount of principal and interest for each year, will be printed on the bottom of the notice of special assessment.
  3. NOTE:  Once the miscellaneous assessment is formally assessed against the property and the status is changed to CURRENT, making partial payments is no longer possible.

Deferral of Special Assessments Due to Age or Disability

Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, allows municipalities the option of deferring special assessments when homesteaded property is owned by a person 65 years of age or older, or a person retired by virtue of a permanent physical disability. Application forms are available from the City Clerk's office.

Please note that the application must be filed within 60 days of the date of Council approval of the Assessment project.