Finance Department

About the Department of Finance

The Department of Finance manages the City's financial affairs. It collects revenues, manages and invests cash, manages City debt, and controls financial processing. Its responsibilities include managing payroll, purchasing, and assessment operations, maintaining financial records and reports, enforcing financial policies and standards, and collecting and storing City records.

The Department is composed of seven units: the Director's Office, Accounting, Treasury, Assessment, Parking,  the Rochester Traffic Violations Agency and Purchasing.

The hours for all units except Parking are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, when City Hall is open. The hours for the Parking Bureau are listed here.

Downtown parking is available at several locations near City Hall, 30 Church St. (map)

Director's Office (585) 428-7151, City Hall Room 109A

  • Manages the Department of Finance.
  • Supervises the City's debt and risk management activities.
  • Administers and enforces Federal and New York State labor standards in construction projects.
  • Monitors Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) contract compliance for prime contractors and wage compliance for both prime and sub-contractors.
  • Provides central planning, programming, and development services to the bureaus of the Department.

Accounting (585) 428-7139, City Hall Room 106A

  • Reviews, processes and maintains records of City financial transactions.
  • Provides information on the City's financial position.
  • Oversees the fiscal component of Federal and New York State grant programs.
  • Prepares the City's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

Treasury (585) 428-6940, City Hall Room 100A

  • Collects all monies owed to the City, including taxes and water bills. Choose between payment options here>>.
  • Maintains care and custody, including investment responsibility, of all resources of the City and the City School District.
  • Disburses funds according to policies and regulations, including payments to City vendors
  • More information about the Treasury Bureau

Assessment (585) 428-7221, City Hall Room 101A

  • Determines the market value of every property in the City through on-site visits and recording of pertinent data.
  • Monitors recent property transfers, neighborhood and economic conditions, financing, legal restrictions and environmental issues as they pertain to City properties.
  • Provides the public with data on property ownership, tax exemption programs, legal deadlines and sales information.
  • Processes tax exemption applications, deeds of transfer, assessment changes and letters of notice.
  • More information about the Assessment Bureau

Parking (585) 428-7484, 200 E. Main St.

  • The Bureau of Parking and Municipal Violations enforces parking, dog control, and other provisions of the Municipal Code.
  • Collects fines, state surcharges and state scofflaw clearance fees. 
  • Conducts an administrative adjudication system that provides hearings for those contesting summonses or who fail to pay fines within a specified period.
  • Prepares a civil judgment roll for judicial certification, administers contracts with commercial collection agencies.
  • Certifies scofflaws to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
  • Look up and/or pay parking tickets through the Online Service Center.
  • Hearings: Learn more about the adjudication of parking and municipal code violations.
  • More information about the Parking Bureau

Rochester Traffic Violations Agency (585) 428-6555, 200 E. Main Street, Suite B-002

  • Since April 23, 2018, the City of Rochester Traffic Violations Agency has been adjudicating traffic infractions that violate the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. The Department of Motor Vehicles Traffic Violations Bureau will no longer address moving violations
Purchasing (585) 428-7041, City Hall Room 105A
  • Purchases or leases all material, supplies, equipment, and contract services necessary for the City to perform its tasks.
  • Writes specifications for items to be purchased.
  • Obtains written and verbal quotes from vendors.
  • Solicits, analyzes and awards bids.
  • Issues contracts and purchase orders.
  • Ensures that contractors employed by the City comply with Federal and New York State labor standards and all applicable legal requirements.
  • Provides central duplicating and office supply services to City departments.
  • Disposes of surplus property.
  • More information about the Purchasing Bureau.