Shelly Sigo

Despite rising gas prices and fewer airlines seats due to consolidation, the central Florida home to the state’s mega-theme parks saw continued gains in the number of visitors in December to Orlando and surrounding Orange County.

Two Miami-Dade County elected officials facing recall petitions have now filed suits in an attempt to stop their recall elections.

BRADENTON, Fla. — As the Miami Dolphins continue to seek $225 million in public funding to upgrade their privately financed stadium, a Florida senator has filed a bill that would prohibit public funds from being spent on professional sports facilities without a local referendum.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott rolled out his first budget Monday, proposing to slash state government spending by more than $5 billion over two years, reduce corporate income and school property taxes by $2 billion, and spend significantly less in new bond financing.

BRADENTON, Fla. — As he prepares for upcoming trips to Dubai and China, Mike Levinson is focusing on his new day job as senior vice president and consultant with the Florida-based financial advisory firm Dunlap & Associates Inc.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Nearly a year after beginning a 15-year sentence for pay-to-play crimes, former Jefferson County Commission President Larry Langford will get another day in court.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Birmingham-based Sterne, Agee & Leach Inc. continues its expansion efforts with the hiring of former Alabama state senator Steve French and the acquisition of San Francisco-based Nollenberger Capital Partners, the firm announced Tuesday.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Two major Southeast governments ­announced plans Tuesday to join the popular trend of adjusting or eliminating defined-benefit pension plans that they deem unsustainable.

Georgia Sen. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, is sponsoring the Taxpayer Protection Act of 2011, a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit how much in tax dollars the state can spend each year. He said budget cuts and the state’s depleted rainy-day fund are among the reasons he sponsored SR 20, which has been approved by the Senate Finance Committee.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority signed a $142.9 million contract last week to begin a major overhaul of its aging train-control and rail-safety systems in a deal that is expected to require some bond financing.

In an effort to drum up a new source of revenue for Florida’s beleaguered transportation trust fund, two lawmakers have filed identical bills authorizing the sale of naming rights and advertising space on state-owned transportation facilities.

Standard & Poor’s assigned a AAA rating to Miami-Dade County’s investment portfolio, a county finance official reported last week. The portfolio also received an S1 volatility rating for its low sensitivity to changing market conditions. The portfolio’s assets totaled about $4.5 billion as of Sept. 30.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta-based Jackson Securities has hired Donald Smart as a managing director in the firm’s public finance group.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Flush with cash, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has increased the number of outside managers it uses to invest bond proceeds and other funds.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority has hired Parsons Brinckerhoff to do a year-long study of high-capacity transit options to shuttle workers and tourists to and from the city’s busy downtown business and entertainment districts.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is poised to enact emergency procedures this week to ensure Atlanta Public Schools doesn’t lose its high school accreditation — a development that would prevent its new graduates from getting into most colleges and qualifying for ­scholarships.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has named three consortiums seeking to bid on the Atlanta Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal project.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott received permission Tuesday from Republican legislative leaders to file his budget recommendation a day later than its legal due date, which is Feb. 6. The new GOP governor faces a deficit of more than $3.5 billion in fiscal 2012.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed an executive order Tuesday creating the Alabama Commission on Improving State Government, which would explore ways to reduce government spending with minimal or no reduction in state services.

Jefferson County is still bogged down by the potential loss of a major revenue source supporting its budget and billions of dollars in auction- and variable-rate sewer bonds that haven’t been restructured. But newly elected commissioners are moving to overhaul the county’s finances.