Paul Burton

Treasurer Elizabeth Pearce and Gov. Peter Shumlin favor expanding Vermont's rainy-day fund to 8% from 5%. Vermont is among only 15 states with a triple-A rating from the three major rating agencies.

Chester, which has been in Pennsylvania's Act 47 program for distressed communities, has received an A rating from Standard & Poor's.

Standard & Poor's assigned its BBB-plus long-term rating and stable outlook to Philadelphia Gas Works' revenue refunding bonds, the 20th series under the 1975 ordinance and 10th series under the 1998 ordinance.

Fitch Ratings has placed two sets of BB-plus rated bonds issued by the New York City Industrial Development Agency on behalf of Staten Island University Hospital on positive rating watch.

Albany, N.Y., has two vacancies on its seven-member Industrial Development Agency board.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo nominated former state transportation commissioner Thomas Madison as executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, subject to Senate confirmation.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed its long-term triple-A rating on Dartmouth College bonds issued by the New Hampshire Health and Education Facilities Authority, while assigning a stable outlook.

The Salem City Council will reconvene Sept. 8 to give second and final approval to two bond issues.

When Rhode Island sold $169 million of general obligation bonds on Wednesday after a two-day retail period, two words echoed amid huge jumps in yield: Central Falls.

Mayor Linda Thompson implored Harrisburg City Council members to approve her financial recovery plan, which will go before the council for a final vote at a special legislative session next Wednesday.

The Regional Economic Development Council in New York City held its first meeting on Tuesday, as part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's initiative to attract and retain businesses and jobs.

Another downgrade hit Rhode Island as Moody's Investors Service lowered its rating to A2 from A1 on the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp.'s motor fuel-tax revenue bonds, affecting $77 million of outstanding debt.

A week of noise involving unions and commuters ended quietly in a Manhattan conference room on Friday, when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board of commissioners approved a set of toll and fare increases that the states' governors modified.

Berklee College of Music is planning a $90 million bond sale to help finance construction of a performance center, dormitory and dining hall at its main Boston campus.

Fitch Ratings placed all outstanding notes of the Vermont Student Assistance Corp. 1995 bond resolution on negative rating watch.

Moody’s Investors Service has placed the Baa1 rating on Lackawanna County’s $232 million of outstanding general obligation bonds under review for possible downgrade.

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority sold $92.2 million of tax-exempt refunding Series 2001 sewer revenue bonds on Wednesday.

Harrisburg’s City Council will vote on its latest financial receiver proposal at an Aug. 31 special legislative session.

The Empire State Development Corp.’s board of directors approved funding totaling $11.1 million last week, leveraging more than $354 million in investment across New York State.

Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a stable rating to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, two weeks before the nation’s largest technological research university plans to remarket its Series 2002E bonds as fixed rate, and sell $40 million of taxable debt through a private placement.