A look back at Rybak's 11 years

January 2001 Former journalist Raymond Thomas Rybak announces he's running for Minneapolis mayor, saying he wants to restore trust in City Hall.

November 2001 Voters choose Rybak over incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton.

January 2002 Rybak takes office.

September 2002 Rybak releases first full budget with 8 percent levy increase, the first of nearly a decade of tax increases.

January 2004 The City Council approves Rybak's choice of an outsider for police chief, Bill McManus, but he lasts less than three years.

April 2005 Rybak agrees to reimburse taxpayers $10,000 after questions were raised about a self-promotional newsletter.

November 2005 Rybak easily is re-elected as mayor over challenger Peter McLaughlin.

December 2006 Rybak's fire chief, Bonnie Bleskachek, steps down after a sex scandal.

February 2007 Rybak emerges as the first large-city mayor to support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as a presidential candidate.

August 2007 The I-35W bridge collapses into the Mississippi River, highlighting the aging of America's infrastructure.

October 2007 City Council approves a $127 million settlement on airport noise mitigation, the issue that launched Rybak's political activism.

February 2008 Rybak's driver's license is suspended for failure to pay part of a 2006 speeding ticket. He drives for three months before a TV station reports his status.

April 2010 Lacking crucial union support, Rybak concedes the DFL endorsement for governor to Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

April 2010 Built with Hennepin County support, Target Field opens in the Warehouse District.

June 2010 Rybak's enthusiasm for bicycles leads to the debut of the Nice Ride bike-sharing program.

December 2010 City Council scales back Rybak's suggested property tax increases after citizen protests.

July 2011 The Legislature approves a rescue of the city's ailing police and fire pension funds.

September 2011 Rybak is appointed a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

January 2012 Rybak supports a plan that sends city money to a new Vikings stadium without a referendum.

May 2012 The City Council votes 7-6 to approve a public subsidy for the new Vikings stadium and revamped Target Center.

September 2012 Rybak speaks to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.