Caitlin Devitt

CHICAGO — Cook County’s new president, Toni Preckwinkle, has tapped a former Chicago comptroller as her new chief financial officer.

CHICAGO — Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and other urban areas in Michigan have their share of problems, but failing special-assessment debt is not one of them.

Ohio could garner up to $2.5 billion by selling its liquor distribution system to a private company, according to a study released last week by a Cleveland-based investment firm.

Michigan faces a general fund deficit of up to $1.8 billion in fiscal 2012, but could enjoy a school-aid fund surplus of up to $583 million, according to economists and fiscal officials at last week’s semiannual state revenue estimating conference.

The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee will begin to consider Gov. Mitch Daniels’ proposed two-year budget Tuesday. They also will receive a new revenue forecast from state economists.

CHICAGO — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has named a new state public finance director to replace outgoing director Jennifer Alvey, who leaves the post for the private sector this week.

CHICAGO — In a surprise move, the Detroit City Council effectively rejected a $60 million plan to rehab a vacant casino into a new police headquarters Friday — just three days before construction was set to begin and a month after the city sold bonds to finance the project.

CHICAGO — Indiana lawmakers Wednesday morning held a first hearing on a bill that would allow local units of government to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection.

CHICAGO — Toledo, Ohio-based Promedica Health System will begin pricing $270 million of refunding and new-money revenue bonds Thursday.

CHICAGO — After years of perceived mismanagement and allegations of corruption, a new administration has taken over the helm of Cook County, Ill. with fiscal responsibility as its mantra.

New Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will deliver his state of the state address Jan. 25, ahead of the anticipated release of a new two-year state budget next month.

The Hamtramck City Council was poised Tuesday to approve a resolution seeking a $2.5 million loan from Michigan to help pay its bills even as it continues to push the state to allow it to become the first Michigan municipality to file for bankruptcy.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing this week appointed a former DTE Energy executive as the city’s new chief operations officer.

A city-county council committee is set to hear public testimony Wednesday on Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s plan to issue $98 million of bonds for a mixed-use development, which includes a new corporate campus for Eli Lilly and Co.

CHICAGO — Sylvan Township, Mich., will likely need to impose a steep property-tax hike on its residents to cover payments on bonds that were issued to support a now-failed special assessment district.

CHICAGO — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission last week filed a pair of complaints against Promedica Health System Inc., a leading health care system in northwest Ohio, charging that its acquisition of a rival hospital is anticompetitive and would allow the Toledo-based system to unfairly raise prices for services.

CHICAGO — Veteran Michigan public finance official Gary Olson has left his longtime position as head of the Senate Fiscal Agency, and his counterpart in the House Fiscal Agency is considering retirement after helping lawmakers navigate what promises to be a rough budget-crafting session.

CHICAGO — While other states struggle with shortfalls, North Dakota’s fiscal position is strong enough that the state’s new governor has proposed funding nearly $1 billion of projects with cash and boosting reserves to $1.2 billion by the end of 2013.

CHICAGO — The new owners of the Detroit Medical Center kicked off the first phase of an $850 million capital program Tuesday afternoon, four days after closing the long-anticipated acquisition.

A $1 billion, largely bond-financed expansion of the Ohio State University Medical Center got a boost last week with the announcement of a $100 million federal grant. The project is Ohio’s largest labor initiative and is projected to create up to 10,000 new jobs and 5,000 construction jobs.