Shelly Sigo

The Atlanta City Council last week unanimously approved sweeping reforms to the city's retirement plan that will allow the city to avoid layoffs and cuts in service, and bolsters its fiscal stability, officials said.

Standard & Poor's last week dropped Sarasota County's limited ad valorem tax bonds four notches to BBB from A-plus.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley softened his stance on supporting bankruptcy for Jefferson County last week, according to the Birmingham News.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority bondholders did not get paid July 1, according to the Florida agency's trustee, Bank of New York Mellon.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Miami has suffered several rating downgrades in the last two weeks as the financially stressed city plans to bring a refunding to market.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., closed down academic operations Thursday while administrative offices remained open and negotiations continued with various parties for the payment of debts, including outstanding bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. - A last-ditch effort to prevent the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority in northwest Florida from a bond payment default has failed and the remaining member of the board plans to resign next week.

The Rankin County School Board is planning to ask voters to authorize the issuance of $169.5 million of general obligation bonds.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta Tuesday overturned a federal judge's ruling that ordered massive cutbacks in drinking water withdrawals by Atlanta and surrounding communities from a federal reservoir known as Lake Lanier.

Nearly two years after first issuing debt to build a performing arts center, Orlando finally broke ground on the long-awaited facility.

Miami-Dade County voters on Tuesday chose former County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez as their new mayor.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Jefferson County, Ala., agreed not to file for bankruptcy in return for a 30-day "standstill" agreement under which the receiver for the county's sewer system will allow negotiations to resume over defaulted sewer debt and won't pursue a rate increase - at least for now.

Four Jefferson County, Ala., lawmakers are legally opposing the sewer rate increase proposed by the court-appointed receiver managing the county's sewer system and its defaulted debt.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Two Florida issuers plan to sell revenue refunding bonds to refinance variable- and fixed-rate bonds and to terminate swaps at a cost that could top more than $100 million.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Alabama court-appointed receiver in charge of managing Jefferson County's sewer system - as well as its defaulted warrants and swaps - is demanding that the county turn over $75 million from its general fund.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Florida's Citizens Property Insurance Corp. next week expects to sell up to $900 million of revenue bonds and notes to provide liquidity for the current hurricane season, which began June 1.

Tennessee revenue collections continued a nine-month growth trend in May with a 9.82% increase over the same month a year ago.

Standard & Poor's on Monday revised its rating outlook to negative from stable and affirmed its BBB-plus rating on $5.7 million of Series 2002B bonds issued on behalf of Martin Memorial Medical Center.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley last week signed the Fiscal Transparency Act into law enabling the public to view monthly reports on the Internet about the state's finances.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The fiscal distress in Jefferson County has elicited renewed calls from a financial analyst for investors to be cautious when buying debt sold by issuers from Alabama.