About Rochester Government
The city of Rochester is a municipal corporation, incorporated August 5, 1858, and exists under the laws of the State of Minnesota. The City is governed under a charter adopted August 22, 1904. The Common Council is comprised of seven Council members. Six council members are elected by Ward and the President of the Common Council is elected at large. The Mayor and Council members currently serve four year terms. A charter amendment adopted in 1994, changed the municipal election to November of even years and the terms of elected officials to four years beginning with the 1996 election under a phase-in process.
The City is the third (3rd) largest in the State of Minnesota, has an estimated population of 89,870 and comprises an area of 39.69 square miles. Rochester is located in Olmsted County in Southeastern Minnesota, 78 miles south of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and is described in "Rochester, Minnesota - Look Us Over", prepared by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce as follows: "Rochester, Minnesota, being the economic growth center and cultural hub of Southern Minnesota, offers business and industry all the advantages of a large metropolitan area, without its disadvantages. A labor force composed of Midwestern workers known for their efficiency and high productivity; a transportation system providing quick access to the major market areas of America; a municipal international airport second to none for fast and safe ingress and egress of passengers and freight; medical facilities unsurpassed in the world; a higher education system providing vocational-technical training and college degree granting programs; and an abundance of available and fairly priced industrial sites and buildings are just a few of the benefits business and industry may expect to find in Rochester."