Chip Barnett

"Some have called on us to use our rainy-day fund to cover asylum seeker needs. We do not agree and neither do our city and state comptrollers as well as the bond rating agencies and fiscal experts," said NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

The 2025 state budget would provided $2.4 billion to New York City to pay for the costs of caring for a rising influx of migrants, which includes taking $500 million from reserves.

Proceeds from the PMT green bond sale will be used to finance transit and commuter projects that have been approved in the N.Y. MTA's capital programs.

Tourism raised $35.2 billion in taxes in 2022, consisting of $18.9 billion in federal tax revenue, $8.1 billion in state tax revenue and $8.2 billion in local tax receipts, according to a report.

Affordable housing expert Marian Zucker retired on Dec. 1 as head of S&P Global Rating's housing group after over 40 years of working in the public and private sectors of the municipal bond industry.

"It is a torpedo into one of the safest, most secure pension systems in the United States, if not the world," said North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell.

John Fleming, a four-term congressman and former Trump administration official, took office as state treasurer. Jeff Landry of the GOP was sworn in as governor.

"It is not surprising that we have witnessed — and continue to witness — a great migration of Americans away from cities and states pursuing failed policies, with Florida serving as a refuge for freedom and sanity," Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

After this week's sale, the state intends to issue another series of refunding bonds in February in connection with a potential tender offer for taxable GOs and a current refunding of some tax-exempt GOs.

"The work done by our agency often focuses on the long-term," said Connecticut State Treasurer Erick Russell.

Moody's also affirmed the A1 rating on the authority's $3.2 billion of general revenue bonds and the A2 rating on the $2.5 billion of general revenue junior indebtedness obligations.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. reported that private insurance companies assumed 650,399 policies from the state's last-resort carrier in 2023.

The Bond Buyer takes a look back at 2023 and remembers those in the public finance industry who died last year.

"There is no doubt that inflation has had an impact. It's important that we continue to ensure that everyone working in New Jersey has access to a livable wage," said Gov. Phil Murphy.

The MTA's public review process on congestion pricing plan started Wednesday and will run through March 11. The MTA will also hold four hybrid virtual and in-person public hearings.

Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports remain on track to see their busiest year ever as 132 million passengers have passed through in 2023.

The $136.6 billion 2024-2026 biennium budget proposal will be debated by the state General Assembly when it reconvenes on Jan. 2.

At the ceremony, Patronis announced the State Board of Administration plans to make a sizable new purchase of Israel bonds.

The state's labor force continued to increase last month as more people entered the labor force, hitting an annual growth rate of 3.2%.

"Preserving a livable planet and a thriving economy will require a collective global commitment both to the phase-out of fossil fuels and to massive new investments," said New York Comptroller Brad Lander.