Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is ready to announce whether he wants to try to hang onto the office. Rybak will declare his intentions Thursday. His third term as head of Minnesota's largest city expires after next year.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak celebrated the final Vikings stadium vote the way many fans celebrate a victory -- with a beer. Rybak says after Friday's 7-6 City Council vote that the fight for the new stadium has been a "bruising" one.
Minnesota Viking owner Zigi Wilf arrived in Minnesota Thursday afternoon after the Minnesota Senate passed the Stadium bill 36-30. The passage means the bill needs only to be signed by supportive Governor Mark Dayton and by needs to be approved by the Minneapolis City Council. The Governor has been a long-time supporter of the Stadium and the Minneapolis City Council has already voted in favor of the stadium 7-6. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says he has the votes.
The Vikings Stadium hopes appear to rest in Minneapolis and specifically at the Metrodome site. The Vikings are warming to the idea of building there but the Minneapolis city council doesn't appear to be in favor of Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's proposal for continuing an existing city sales tax to help pay for the local $300 Million for the stadium. Instead the City Council would like a city vote or referendum to decide whether to continue the existing sales tax to pay for a stadium.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says an act of vandalism against the new Interstate 35W bridge collapse memorial does not erase the community's compassionate response to that disaster.
Minneapolis leaders are floating a plan for the city to pay 22 percent of the cost of a new football stadium for the Minnesota Vikings at the current Metrodome site and set aside money to renovate the Target Center basketball arena.
Minneaplis Mayor R.T. Rybak is putting the best face on the city losing out on landing the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Democrats named Charlotte, N.C., as their host city on Tuesday.
Police say Minneapolis has the lowest violent crime levels in more than 25 years. According to a city news release, robbery, aggravated assault, and rape are all down year-to-date between about 3 and 7 percent from 2009.