Shelly Sigo

BRADENTON, Fla. — Standard & Poor’s on Wednesday chopped the underlying rating on Orlando, Fla.’s contract tourist development tax bonds to junk, to levels below where other rating agencies recently have cut the credit.

BRADENTON, Fla. — State officials this week gave the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance Corp. the go-ahead to sell up to $710 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds for storm-related losses that occurred in 2005.

Gov. Sonny Perdue Tuesday announced that he appointed a special attorney general, who will work for free, to direct Georgia’s participation in challenging the federal health care legislation recently passed by Congress.

Florida lawmakers last week cleared a measure that places a statewide referendum on the November ballot asking voters to make changes in the restrictive class-size amendment that has cost the state and local school districts billions to implement through construction of new schools and operational costs.

Alabama state senators Tuesday passed a bill that originated in the House placing strict requirements on Jefferson County’s issuance of debt and use of swaps. The measure is now on its way to Gov. Bob Riley.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida’s ­Citizens Property Insurance Corp. last week closed on a $2.4 billion bond sale to have liquidity on hand in case a hurricane strikes the state during the upcoming storm season, which starts June 1.

Moody's Investors Service last week became the second national rating agency to place a negative outlook on Miami's debt because of the city's weakened financial position.

Moody's Investors Service Wednesday joined Fitch Ratings and dropped its underlying rating on Orlando, Fla.'s highly leveraged tourist-tax revenue bonds into junk territory, while Standard & Poor's placed the rating on negative watch.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Convention Center Authority plans to move forward with a $633.3 million deal next week to finance the construction of a new facility called the Music City Center.

Gov. Haley Barbour has signed the Mississippi School District Emergency Bridge Loan Act, which may be seeded with bond proceeds.

The Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority meets today to continue working on a $4.1 billion plan of finance to build two new bridges across the Ohio River between the two states, and to reconfigure a major intersection in Louisville. The bi-state agency's agenda will include discussion about the selection of an advisory team.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue Tuesday announced that net revenue collections for March totaled $998.24 million compared to $987.98 million in March 2009, an increase of 1%. The slight rise was the first monthly increase since November 2008.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments today in the long quest by South Florida water managers to validate $650 million of certificates of ­participation.

BRADENTON, Fla. — While former Jefferson County, Ala., Commission president Larry Langford must report to federal prison tomorrow to begin serving his 15-year sentence on pay-to-play charges, things could get worse for the 63-year-old dethroned Birmingham mayor.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Georgia Department of Transportation announced Thursday that long-time agency member and former treasurer Earl Mahfuz had retired.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A federal judge in Alabama has denied former Jefferson County Commission president and Birmingham mayor Larry Langford’s request to remain free on bond while appealing his federal conviction on pay-to-play charges.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Orlando, Fla., next week expects to price its second round of direct-subsidy Build America Bonds using tax-increment financing after being the first to successfully use such a structure last fall.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Standard & Poor’s Tuesday said it removed Jefferson County, Ala.’s sewer and general obligation warrants from negative credit watch. The agency affirmed its C rating on the sewer warrants with a negative outlook and its B rating on the GOs with a “developing” outlook.

In light of dismal revenue collections, Tennessee got some welcome news Monday when the U.S. Department of Education awarded it $500 million from the Race to the Top stimulus program.

A Republican candidate for governor is promising to create a state bond oversight commission to help overcome difficulties Alabama issuers face due to the sewer debt crisis in Jefferson County.