Michelle Kaske

Boston Wednesday will sell $181.5 million of new-money and refunding general obligation debt via competitive bid, including $41.6 million of taxable qualified school construction bonds.

For more than a year, Harrisburg’s incinerator facility and its heavy debt load have epitomized public finance gone wrong.

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee last week released a $7.66 billion fiscal 2012 budget proposal that aims to broaden the sales tax while reducing the rate by one percentage point.

Philadelphia has 8,456 more residents than it did in 2000, the city’s first boost in population since 1950. The 2000 U.S. Census reported 1.51 million people living in Pennsylvania’s largest city. That number is now 1.52 million, a difference of 8,456 people and a 0.6% increase.

Full-time New York City employees earn about 17% less, on average, than full-time private-sector workers, according to a report issued last week by city Comptroller John Liu.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week nominated Julie Shimer, chief executive officer and president of Welch Allyn, to chair the board of the Empire State Development Corp.

A group of Northeastern U.S. senators last week urged Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to direct $2.4 billion of federal high-speed rail funds to the Northeast Corridor line after Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected them.

NEW YORK - JPMorgan will serve as senior manager on about $600 million of tax-exempt New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority bonds set to price by April 15.

Nassau County, N.Y., ended fiscal 2010 with a $17.2 million surplus and cut its structural deficit to $131.6 million, according to unaudited fiscal results from Comptroller George Maragos.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett Tuesday released a $27.3 billion spending plan that is $866 million smaller than the current-year budget and includes no new taxes or tax increases.

Standard & Poor’s cited better-than-expected excise-tax collections in boosting Puerto Rico’s $9.2 billion of general obligation debt to BBB from BBB-minus.

NEW YORK - Standard & Poor’s Monday upgraded $9.2 billion of Puerto Rico general obligation bonds to BBB from BBB-minus, due to stronger revenue performance.

New York City this week will issue its first general obligation bond deal of 2011 with a $641 million refinancing to generate debt-service savings.

Sam Katz, a founder of Public Financial Management Inc., will serve on the board of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, which reviews Philadelphia’s budgets and five-year fiscal plans.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett last week appointed six new commissioners to the board of the Delaware River Port Authority.

Moody’s Investors Service last week revised its outlook for Fordham University to stable from positive as the school plans to increase its borrowing more quickly in advance of expected fundraising and balance-sheet growth.

New Jersey residents are split over whether they approve Gov. Chris Christie’s $29.4 billion budget proposal, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released last week. Of the 912 adults polled, 48% are displeased with the fiscal 2012 spending plan while 45% approve of it.

In the 1930s, motorists paid 50 cents to drive through the Holland Tunnel, and a night at the Hotel Chesterfield in Jersey City cost $2.50.

New York City will refinance $641 million of general obligation debt next week with Bank of America Merrill Lynch senior managing the tax-exempt portion.

A Boston hotel project failed to make an interest payment of $297,600 on March 1 to bondholders of Series 2002 Crosstown Center Project subordinate revenue bonds.