Far West

Los Angeles City Council contemplating rate increases and governance changes at its Department of Water and Power simultaneously.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley asked lawmakers to raise the state's gasoline tax and cut the income tax rate.

A continuing decline in oil prices will strain the budgets of five producing states to varying degrees, according to Standard & Poor's.

Local government lobbyists think California may have a window to pass transportation funding legislation this spring.

The Internal Revenue Service appears is stepping up its audit of $80 million of Arborwood Community Development District's 2006 bonds and appears to be focusing in part on the Florida CDD's board and land that may have been purchased at too high of a price.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board plans to discuss bank loans and dealer disclosure of markups to retail customers during its board meeting here next week.

Aging and underfunded infrastructure is the greatest challenge for mayors, according to a survey sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Boston University Initiative and supported by Citi.

Mayor Eric Garcetti named his former rival's chief of staff, Claire Bartels, to head Los Angeles' Office of Public Finance.

Wilmington Trust hired two new bankers last week to bolster the company's Municipal Corporate Trust team on the West Coast.

An agreement transferring control of three Maui County hospitals to Kaiser Permanente is said to save the Hawaii government $260 million over 10 years.