Shelly Sigo

BRADENTON, Fla. — Miami-Dade County, Fla., next week is pricing $524 million of tax-exempt aviation revenue bonds in what is expected to be the last major financing for Miami International Airport’s $6.49 billion capital improvement plan.

This week at the first meeting of the presidential commission investigating the Gulf oil disaster, Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway said the charter and seafood industries are in “freefall” while perception is playing havoc with tourism.

Fitch Ratings has become the third major rating agency to downgrade Miami’s general obligation bond rating ahead of a financing to build parking garages for the Marlins’ new baseball stadium, which is under construction.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist last week called for a special session of the Legislature on an oil-drilling ban in state waters, but the move has elicited criticism from lawmakers who say it’s a waste of money and others who say the limited scope of the session is disappointing.

While Mississippi did not meet its revenue projections in fiscal 2010, Gov. Haley Barbour last week said the decline wasn’t as much as expected and that the state will have a final balance of $50 million to $60 million.

With local Florida governments and school districts reeling from the recession, many are looking for novel ways to increase revenue.

Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman was elected president of the Florida Association of Counties at the organization’s annual conference last week.

A public-private partnership of the Greater Birmingham Regional Planning Commission, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and Norfolk-Southern railroad will study the feasibility of a high-speed rail connection between Birmingham and Atlanta.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Port of Palm Beach, located in one of Florida’s wealthiest areas, saw one of its revenue bond ratings drop below investment grade last week.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Fitch Ratings on Wednesday downgraded the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida to below investment grade because of spending irregularities cited in a recent notice of violation by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Moody’s Investors Service yesterday downgraded Miami’s general obligation ratings just ahead of a financing to build parking garages for the Marlins’ new baseball stadium, which is under construction.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Kentucky officials hope a popular federal loan guarantee program will be the catalyst to resume construction of a $465 million, 62-story skyscraper on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Louisville that has been stalled by the credit crisis.

Standard & Poor’s has raised its long-term underlying rating on Herndon’s general obligation debt to AAA from AA-plus based on its strong financial position and good management practices, the agency said. The outlook is stable.

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen on Friday signed into law a $29.9 billion state budget for fiscal 2011.

Momentum is growing again for Florida lawmakers to hold a special session on oil drilling and clean energy strategies.

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman’s appeal of his corruption conviction will be reviewed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals based on last week’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court narrowing the focus of the “honest services fraud” criminal statute.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has selected municipal finance veteran Joya De Foor as his nominee to become the new chief financial officer of Georgia’s largest city.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Lakeland, Fla.-based Holland & Knight LLP has hired Eric Eikenberg as a senior policy adviser in the firm’s public policy and regulation practice group.

BRADENTON, Fla. — An Alabama judge has set Sept. 7 for trial to begin in the Bank of New York Mellon's quest to obtain a receiver to take over control of Jefferson County's sewer system, which is saddled with close to $3.2 billion of troubled variable- and auction-rate debt.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta is looking for companies interested in setting up operations in its commercial tax allocation districts.