Despite taking a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia’s prudent approach to financial operations along with its financial flexibility has kept the state’s ratings in the top tier. Fitch Ratings late Thursday affirmed its AAA rating on Virginia’s $1.1 billion of general obligation bonds as well as on the state’s long-term issuer default rating. Additionally,
Bonds
The Puerto Rico Oversight Board on Friday filed suit against a law that would scuttle the negotiated plan of adjustment for the central government debt. The board filed an adversary proceeding in the Title III bankruptcy in the U.S. District Court for Puerto Rico against the governor and legislative leaders in defense of the negotiated
Municipals were firmer by a basis point Thursday amid light secondary trading and a quiet primary as the second half of the year and July reinvestment kicks off while broader markets mostly held steady ahead of Friday’s employment numbers. Inflows came in below $1 billion for the first time since the start of June, with
The Puerto Rico Oversight Board on Wednesday approved a $10.1 billion budget crafted by the Puerto Rico local government for the first time in the board’s history. “The budget developed jointly by the governor, the legislature, and the Oversight Board is a significant achievement and an important step toward achieving fiscal responsibility and economic stability,”
The Puerto Rico Oversight Board said local legislative approval would not be needed for enactment by the central government Plan of Adjustment, which, if true, would clear what observers consider the biggest remaining obstacle. The board laid out this position and several others in a Tuesday afternoon response to objections to its Disclosure Statement, filed
The Federal Reserve’s tapering of its asset purchases, which he hopes will start “soon,” will run smoother this time around because investors already know that a move is being discussed, said Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan. “I want it to get out into the market, and I think this debate we’re having
Illinois won a one-notch upgrade Tuesday from Moody’s Investors Service, action that turns the rating tide for a state stung by more than a decade of downgrades that left it one cut away from a speculative grade. Moody’s moved its general obligation and Build Illinois sales tax-backed ratings up one level to Baa2 from Baa3.
Detroit received clearance to operate independent of direct state oversight for a fourth year but pension funding and potential charter revisions loom large as potential threats to the city’s future fiscal solvency. The Detroit Financial Review Commission granted another one-year waiver at its meeting Monday. The commission was put in place after the city’s December
California and Mexico lawmakers signed an agreement Monday on a project that will speed up the movement of goods and travelers at a San Diego County border crossing. The State Route 11/Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project being built at a combined cost of $738 million is expected to halve the amount of time
Federal American Rescue Plan funding represents a huge infusion of cash for states whose economies were lagging late last year, though for most states the money represents less than 10% of fiscal 2020 spending. Those numbers come courtesy of a Pew Charitable Trusts analysis released Monday. The $193.5 billion of aid, which states can use
Municipal securities dealer groups said Friday they are opposed to the creation of a $20 billion Infrastructure Financing Authority as part of a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework announced Thursday. Other public finance groups have varying positions. National Association of Counties spokesman Paul Guequierre said in an email, “Counties support federal investments in infrastructure using
Municipals called it a summer Friday with the secondary lightly traded and benchmarks little changed, even as U.S. Treasury yields rose, munis took a break from the relative volatility since the FOMC meeting midmonth. After a week and change of underperformance to U.S. Treasuries, where ratios moved higher for the first time since early in
Puerto Rico’s government may soon adopt a 24% increase in the island’s minimum wage, with local observers saying it would raise costs for businesses and actually cut employment participation. On Tuesday the Puerto Rico Senate approved a bill raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour from the federal $7.25 per hour. The Puerto Rico
A California bill that would require cities and counties to post on their websites how much police brutality and misconduct lawsuits cost them annually is gaining momentum. Assembly Bill 603, authored by Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, passed with a unanimous vote in the Assembly and is being heard July 5 in the Senate Committee
The Federal Reserve might consider an interest-rate hike from near zero as soon as late 2022 as the labor market reaches full employment and inflation is at the central bank’s goal, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren said. “The criteria is that we have a sustainable inflation rate, that’s 2% or above, and
In Buffalo, about 400 miles away from New York City’s much-publicized mayoral primary, heavy political winds are blowing and they aren’t from any lake effect. India Walton, 38, a registered nurse and union activist, stands to become the first self-declared socialist to oversee a major American city since Milwaukee’s Frank Zeidler in 1960. Walton, an
Cook County, Illinois’ pandemic-driven fiscal wounds are on the mend with a surplus now expected this year and $121 million hole to close in 2022 that’s a shadow of last year’s $410 million gap. “It has been an exceptionally difficult last year but a combination of revenue bouncing back as the county opens up, federal
State budgets have largely recovered from the revenue losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey released by the National Association of State Budget Officers. Overall spending by the states is on track to grow 3% for the 2021 fiscal year that ends June 30 for 46 of the 50 states, but
Illinois moved closer to winning an upgrade thanks to budgetary steps in the right direction and a rosier revenue trajectory that Fitch Ratings recognized in raising the state’s outlook to positive from negative. Fitch on Wednesday affirmed the state’s BBB-minus general obligation rating — still the lowest investment grade score — and the BBB-plus assigned
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for a special legislative session on July 8 sets the gathering months before it was expected and before funding is cut off for the legislature. Abbott vetoed a section of the state budget that provides funding for the legislature to punish Democrats for blocking passage of a bill that adds