Mayor R.T. Rybak

RSS Available for Mayor's News

RSS allows you to stay informed by getting the latest news from the Mayor's office without having to revisit our Web site.

Subscribe to Mayor's RSS feed

Learn more about RSS.

The Minneapolis Promise
Innovative programs to help Minneapolis students go to college.

Take the Energy Challenge — Save money and keep your community healthy.

You^th Are Here Buses — Kids ride free to parks, libraries, and activities.

Mayor Rybak: Sound Fiscal Management Allows “Prepared” City to Close $9M Budget Gap without New Layoffs

April 8, 2010 (MINNEAPOLIS) — Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak today delivered to the City Council a supplemental City budget for 2010 that closes a $9.18 million budget gap — caused by recent State cuts in aid to local government — without any new layoffs.

In an address to the City Council, Mayor Rybak laid out his proposal to respond to the State cuts by three means:

• $1.1 million in non-personnel cuts,

• $4.5 million in personnel and other cuts that were made last year in order to address likely State cuts in 2010, and

• $3.6 million in one-time revenue.

Mayor Rybak stated that Minneapolis was “prepared” to meet the State cuts without layoffs or cuts to critical services because it had been engaged for years in long-term financial planning, including:

• maintaining reasonable reserves,

• structurally balancing its budgets five years out, and

• paying off $130 million in debt over the last eight years.

Click here to read more about Mayor Rybak's Supplemental Budget

State of the City 2010

View the text of the speech here

City, County, hospitals and community organizations working together to end youth violence

February 18, 2010 - Minneapolis City leaders and community partners are launching an innovative strategy to break the cycle of violence in the city. At a news conference held today the City announced a hospital-based initiative designed to identify, address and intervene in the lives of youth violence victims who come to HCMC and NMMC. This new program is part of the City’s “Blueprint for Action” plan that works to address the root causes of violence and significantly reduce youth violence in Minneapolis.

“The Blueprint for Action plan is a nationally recognized approach that addresses the causes of, and significantly reduces youth violence,” said Mayor Rybak. “By looking at youth violence as a public health issue, we’ve been able to engage and unite community leaders and organizations, including area hospitals, to work together around a broader vision of youth violence prevention.”

Click here to read more about this news item

Mayor Rybak Issues Statement on Judge Gearin’s Unallotment Decision

December 30, 2009 – Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak issued the following statement in response to the finding by Ramsey District Court Judge Kathleen Gearin today that Governor Pawlenty overstepped his authority in unalloting the Minnesota Supplemental Aid Special Diet program:

“Judge Gearin’s ruling today blows a hole in Governor Pawlenty’s strategy for circumventing the people of Minnesota and their elected representatives. Governor Pawlenty should immediately unwind the other unilateral budget unallotments he made last summer, sit down with the Legislature, and resolve this budget crisis in an honest and straightforward way, once and for all.”

Minneapolis to re-hire 15 police officers

December 22, 2009 – Mayor R.T. Rybak and Police Chief Tim Dolan announced today that 15 Minneapolis police officers who recently received lay-off notices will be back on the street in January.

The United States Department of Justice today approved the City’s application to modify a previously awarded COPS Hiring Recovery Program grant of federal stimulus dollars. The modification of this grant will allow the MPD to re-hire 13 officers as of January 1, 2010. Six of those officers had previously been serving in the Patrol Division of the MPD; the other seven graduated from the Police Academy last week.

Additionally, the City of Minneapolis Department of Regulatory Services has agreed to provide funding to allow the MPD to rehire two more officers from the pool of 25 officers who are working their last day today.  This funding is slotted to cover one officer who will work in conjunction with Regulatory Services personnel on problem properties and one officer who will work with Animal Control on enforcement issues.

In total, 15 of the 25 officers that received lay-off notices are being re-hired.

Click here to read more about this news item

Mayor Rybak names new chief of staff

November 17, 2009 – Mayor R.T. Rybak today announced that Jeremy Hanson Willis will become his chief of staff, effective November 30. Current chief of staff Tina Smith is taking a leave of absence from the City to lead Mayor Rybak’s campaign for governor.

Hanson Willis has served as Mayor Rybak’s communications director since June 2005. Previously, Hanson Willis was a communications consultant at the public relations firm Tunheim Partners, following nearly ten years in nonprofit issue advocacy, including with the Minnesota Smoke-Free Coalition and the Minnesota AIDS Project. A native of Ada, Minnesota, Hanson Willis is a graduate of Macalester College and lives in the Windom Park neighborhood of northeast Minneapolis.

Click here to read more about this news item

Mayor Rybak welcomes first Northstar rail riders

November 16, 2009 – Armed with downtown walking maps and hometown hospitality, Mayor R.T. Rybak this morning welcomed the first Northstar commuter rail riders to downtown Minneapolis. Today is the first day of regular train service for the transit line running from Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids, and Fridley, into downtown Minneapolis.

“After more than a decade of hard work and perseverance, Minnesota’s first commuter rail line is on track with an easier way to travel to and work in Minneapolis,” Mayor Rybak said. “It is clear from the excitement of these riders on the very first day that this is going to be another successful transit line and one that’s going to allow more people to come and experience everything that Minneapolis has to offer without a congested, stressful commute.”

Click here to read more about this news item

Mayor Rybak breaks ground on homeless youth center

November 12, 2009 – Ground is being broken today for Nicollet Square, an innovative $9.2 million model of supportive housing and employment to help young adults transitioning out of homelessness or foster care to become independent and economically self-sufficient. The project received $5,486,922 in federal stimulus funding and $977,584 in funding from the City of Minneapolis.

“This is an excellent use of stimulus dollars to not only create good jobs right here in Minneapolis, but to also respond to a significant and unacceptable problem which is homelessness,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak. “By providing jobs and housing to this population, we’re making a strategic investment in the future of our city by investing in our young people. This is one of the best investments we can make.”

Click here to read more about this news item

Mayor Rybak, legislative leaders praise new hydropower project

November 5, 2009 – Mayor R.T. Rybak today joined legislative leaders to tour the site of a new hydroelectric project in Minneapolis, which is at peak construction and is slated to be completed by the end of 2010.

Once up and running, the hydropower project will create 63,000 megawatt hours of clean, renewable energy per year for Minnesota, the equivalent of 37,000 barrels of oil and enough energy to power 7,500 homes annually. Construction of the project creates 75 skilled labor positions over the course of the 18 month construction. Right now, during peak construction, there are as many as 40 workers on the site.

“This is where we see green jobs at work – right in the heart of Minneapolis,” said Mayor Rybak. “This hydropower project will produce clean, renewable energy by the end of next year, but today it is producing high quality jobs at a time when Minnesota’s economy and workers need them most. This is an excellent example of how federal stimulus dollars can benefit from a multiplier effect when state and local partners are part of the equation.”

Click here to read more about this news item

Mayor Rybak reviews city’s economy in speech to Rotary

October 28, 2009 – Mayor R.T. Rybak today addressed the joint Rotary Clubs of Minneapolis with an update on economic recovery and revitalization in the City. Touching on some recent economic challenges and successes, Mayor Rybak discussed the importance of continued investments in getting people back to work and helping small businesses to grow, so that the City’s economy can emerge even stronger than before the recession.

Click here to read more about this news item