Paul Burton

New York City reported a $5 million surplus in its general fund for the 31st straight year, but warning signs hover, Comptroller John Liu said in his annual analysis of the city's finances.

An arbitration award that ends minimum staffing levels for firefighters could save Bethlehem, Pa., about $1 million annually, according to the city's mayor.

Financially strapped Harrisburg wants all sides, including bondholders, to make concessions, the mayor of Pennsylvania's capital city said Wednesday.

A bankruptcy judge in Harrisburg said Tuesday that special court approval for payments to vendors is unnecessary in Pennsylvania's capital city.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced his appointment of Leecia Eve to deputy secretary for economic development and his recommendation of Gil Quiniones to be president and chief executive of the New York Power Authority, pending legislative approval. Quiniones is currently acting president.

The Connecticut Bond Commission voted 8 to 2 to spend $800,000 for a new electronic-vote tally board for its House of Representatives, over the objections of the two Republicans on the commission.

Harrisburg, Pa., Mayor Linda Thompson has requested that the judge overseeing the City Council's bankruptcy filing authorize expenses to vendors.

With the appointments two weeks ago of Joseph Lhota and Patrick Foye as heads of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, respectively, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has his own people in charge of the two major agencies.

The initial cleanup and stabilization of Vermont’s state office complex in Waterbury will cost $20 million to $25 million in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, officials said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has announced the investment of $84 million in 18 non-point source, drinking water, and wastewater projects in 14 counties.

Auditor general Jack Wagner called for increased investment in Pennsylvania’s crumbling roads and bridges, echoing suggestions made by Gov. Tom Corbett’s advisory commission over the summer.

Hispanics are among the most potent market forces in the American economy, yet inadequate access to capital constrains them, New York City Comptroller John Liu said at a banking conference last week.

Time is running short for Nassau County officials to have a new arena in place for the New York Islanders, National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman implored last week.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $30.1 billion of outstanding debt contains about $5.2 billion of variable-rate debt, of which $3 billion is in synthetic fixed-rate mode achieved through interest-rate swaps, according to a derivatives portfolio report.

Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a Aa2 to the University of Massachusetts’ $28.1 million of tax-exempt, fixed-rate Series 2011 revenue refunding bonds.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy was scheduled late Thursday to sign a jobs bill that called for nearly $1 billion of bonds, including a controversial $291 million to help genetics research concern Jackson Laboratory build a $1.1 billion center at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Comptroller John Liu on Thursday announced an agreement in principle to overhaul the management of the city's five pension funds totaling $120 billion and place a chief investment officer and a singular pension board in charge.

Harrisburg's City Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday with Mayor Linda Thompson and Pennsylvania officials to discuss recently enacted legislation authorizing a state takeover of the city.

Moody's Investors Service assigned a negative outlook to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's $8.23 billion of outstanding power revenue bonds while affirming its A3 rating.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is said to be chugging ahead with an outside-the-box - and outside-the-state - proposal to further extend the No. 7 subway line to New Jersey, according to a New York Post report that said he will spend the next few months planning for it.