Caitlin Devitt

As North Dakota enjoys the largest oil boom in its history, counties and cities struggling to provide the infrastructure needed to support the growing industry are turning to the state for help.

Fitch Ratings last week downgraded its rating to A from AA-minus and revised its outlook to negative from stable on the Toledo City School District.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson this week joined a pair of Ohio lawmakers supporting a bill that would make it easier for local governments to share services to save money.

Genesee County was hit with a pair of downgrades last week as it prepares to issue $10 million of tax anticipation notes and $46 million of delinquent-tax anticipation notes this month.

The International Falls Economic Development Authority tomorrow will offer $11.5 million of taxable lease revenue bonds backed by a general obligation pledge of the federal government to finance construction of a new National Park Service headquarters.

CHICAGO — McLean County, N.D., will enter the market next week with $83 million of solid-waste facilities revenue bonds on behalf of wholesale power supplier Great River Energy.

CHICAGO — Ohio will issue up to $700 million of new-money general obligation bonds over the next four years to finance a jobs program after voters approved the measure in Tuesday’s primary election.

If the pending sale of two large nonprofit health care systems to for-profit entities proves a trend, it could be good news for bondholders of low-rated hospital debt, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report out this week.

Toledo Mayor Mike Bell wants to put a referendum on the November ballot asking voters whether the city should pay pension premiums for union employees in the future.

Standard & Poor’s last week lowered its rating to A-plus from AAA on the Omaha Metropolitan Utilities District’s water revenue bonds. The outlook is stable.

Indiana’s Securities Division last week reached an agreement on the last of several lawsuits it filed against investment banks in connection with failed auction-rate securities.

The Indiana Finance Authority Wednesday will sell $20 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds on behalf of the National College Athletic Association.

Michigan State University today will price $229 million of general revenue bonds to refund outstanding variable-rate debt and commercial paper and pay termination fees related to interest rate swaps.

Ohio voters will decide tomorrow whether to allow the state to issue $700 million of general obligation bonds over the next four years to finance a technology jobs program.

States will likely face rising costs due to federal health care reform over the long term, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report released this week.

CHICAGO — Evansville, Ind., will enter the market today with $115 million of taxable Build America Bonds to finance construction of a downtown arena meant to revitalize the city, a hub of southwest Indiana and northern Kentucky.

A deal that would give Detroit an $800 million boost advanced last week when the City Council approved a measure to create a tax-free zone at the Detroit Medical Center to pave the way for a for-profit health care group to take over the hospital.

For the first time since 2002, almost all of Indiana’s 92 counties will send out their property tax bills on time, the state’s Department of Local Government Finance said last week.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels last week ordered state agencies to craft a fiscal 2011 budget that spends 15% less than originally planned following a report that revenues are still short of projections.

CHICAGO — Nebraska voters on May 11 will decide whether to expand state law to allow cities, counties, and villages to issue tax-exempt debt on behalf of nonprofit organizations for capital projects.