Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0Rothsay spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Rothsay’s city government spent $630,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,324 per resident. Water and other utilities ($127,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rothsay is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,324 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Rothsay’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,324 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,111, and the middle half spent $740–$1,505. Rothsay spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($235,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rothsay itself left out).
About $1,324 per resident a year, or $3.63 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Rothsay reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,444 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.59% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Rothsay’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Rothsay’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rothsay →
Who’s in charge in Rothsay
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 238 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (476).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Rothsay Public School District
Rothsay’s K–12 school district, shared with Akron Township, Tanberg Township, Oscar Township, Trondhjem Township, Meadows Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,833 per pupil, $7,808 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rothsay’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rothsay alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wilkin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.3%2,290 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.4%986 votesOthers: 2.3% (77 votes).
Most votes in Wilkin County: Donald J Trump
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
59% of Rothsay lies in Wilkin County; the rest in Otter Tail County. Every 2024 race in Wilkin County is on the county’s page.
Wilkin County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Rothsay.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Minnesota HouseState representatives
- 3Minnesota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Rothsay compares with the towns next door
Rothsay spent $1,324 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Trondhjem Township | $597 | $1,667 |
| Tanberg Township | $646 | — |
| Rothsay | $1,324 | $2,444 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Rothsay’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Rothsay’s government
How much does Rothsay spend per resident?
About $1,324 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,324 was more than 65% of 619 Minnesota cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rothsay?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,444 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.59% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Rothsay’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rothsay yet.
How did Rothsay vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rothsay alone. Wilkin County, where 59% of Rothsay lies, voted Trump 68.3%, Harris 29.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rothsay?
2 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $14,933 (about $179,196 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rothsay in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Jordan Rasmusson) and State House District 9A (Jeff Backer). The House district also covers 94 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rothsay’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →