Far West

The municipal bond tax exemption saved state and local government borrowers about $715 billion in debt service expenses from 2000 to 2014, according to a white paper issued by the International City/County Management Association and the Government Finance Officers Association.

Standard & Poor’s put triple-A rated Alaska on negative outlook and warned that it might no longer warrant the highest rating if the state’s lawmakers fail to fix its structural budget imbalance.

Alaska and California issuers are among those at risk of downgrades after U.S. oil prices tumbled this week, Fitch Ratings said Tuesday.

A survey Fitch Ratings conducted of 49 California water utilities found that customers can expect rate increases and that those increases bode well for California water districts' credit quality through 2017.

Moody's Investors Service boosted by four notches to A2 $97.4 million in tax allocation bond debt managed by the successor agency to Westminster, Calif.'s redevelopment agency.

Moody’s Investors Service affirmed California’s Aa3 rating ahead of a $1.9 billion general obligation bond sale slated for Aug. 26.

Moody's Investors Service upgraded four notches to investment grade tax allocation refunding bonds managed by the successor agency to Torrance, Calif.’s redevelopment agency.

Moody's Investors Service placed on review for downgrade the Aa3 rating of Central Basin Municipal Water District's certificates of participation and adjustable rate refunding certificates of participation.

Bondholders could receive up to a 30% recovery on Nevada County, Calif. dirt bonds that went into default 23 years ago as part of a bankruptcy workout.

Standard & Poor's announced Friday that it is withdrawing its rating on Palm Drive Health Care District, Calif. after repeated attempts to get necessary information from the issuer failed.