Yvette Shields

At its recent investors’ conference, Chicago impressed analysts with a new plan to rescue the largest of the city’s four pension funds, but several attendees said the smooth presentations didn’t erase their worries about the city’s pensions and its budget.

Fitch Ratings lowered the issuer default ratings on four Ohio school districts after a review under new criteria.

Detroit Public Schools' $212 million of state aid-backed bonds received a downgrade to junk from S&P Global Ratings.

Chicago plans a tax on water and sewer services to save its largest pension fund from insolvency, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced.

A compromise agreement to put a tax hike on the November ballot that would help fund a $4.7 billion mass transit funding package for Southeastern Michigan could be voted on Thursday.

Chicago is selling a positive budget message at its annual investor conference Wednesday, but the theme is obscured by the city’s pension albatross.

Chicago’s public safety pension funds reported modest growth in their net liabilities in 2015 compared with the big jump at the city’s two other funds.

Junk-rated Chicago Public Schools borrowed $150 million through a private placement Friday, a move that allowed it to bypass a public offering.

Minnesota heads into the market Tuesday with its annual summer sale, bolstered by the restoration of one of its triple-A ratings.

Boosted by new grant funding, the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, led by new executive director Michael Belsky, wants to raise its voice on municipal finance research and education.

S&P Global Ratings dropped Western Illinois University two notches to BBB-minus, citing the state's prolonged budget mess.

Wisconsin is taking advantage of record low interest rates with about $915 million of general obligation and appropriation-backed bond refundings. Credit: Adobe Stock

Chicago isn’t on the “brink” of a financial collapse that could drive a default or bankruptcy but its pension fixes to date fall far short of stabilizing the city’s fiscal foundation, an analyst said.

With all governmental approvals and ratings in hand, Detroit expects to be in the market soon with its first post-Chapter 9 general obligation state distributive aid backed borrowing.

A court ruling Thursday offered a mixed outcome for Chicago’s effort to phase out most retiree healthcare subsidies.

Chicago plans to sell up to $3.5 billion of O’Hare International Airport debt later this year to generate refunding savings and fund a new runway and gate expansion.

Columbus enters the market Thursday with $481 million of high-grade paper to fund capital projects as it prepares to go to voters this November for new bonding authority to keep pace with capital needs.

A Michigan board has authorized key pieces of the $617 million restructuring of the Detroit Public Schools amid lingering market questions over the fate of the district's bonds.

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is hosting a reception Thursday to honor the memory of bond lawyer and public finance banker George Pitt who died in March.

Chicago-based Presence Health Network will issue nearly $1 billion of bonds next week in a sale designed to overhaul its debt portfolio and provide some breathing room to help stabilize its balance sheet.