Far West

The Portland City Council voted unanimously to create a Tourism Improvement District, which will raise the tax on all hotels in the city with 50 or more rooms.

California retirement system officials have further cut the benefits of two former top Bell employees now facing corruption charges.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the Washington Township Health Care District's long-term revenue bonds to Baa1 from A3, affecting $232 million of debt.

California will not see single-digit unemployment until 2013, according to a report by UCLA's Anderson Forecast.

Unions opposed to San Diego's recent overwhelming vote to reform its pension system won two legal victories this week.

Stockton, Calif. has proposed a plan to slash more than $10 million of debt payments to balance its budget while at the same time declaring bankruptcy, if negotiations with creditors fail by Monday's deadline.

The IRS is auditing $105 million of general obligation building bonds that North Las Vegas issued in 2006.

SAN FRANCISCO — Moody's Investors Service's recent downgrade to junk of California redevelopment bonds has triggered complaints from state officials, but little evident stir in the market.

The gap between many states' pension and health care benefit commitments and the money set aside to meet them is growing wider, representing a continuing and growing threat to their financial stability and creditworthiness, according to a new report from the Pew Center on the States.

Additional regulation of money-market mutual funds could increase short-term borrowing costs for state and local governments, leading municipalities to raise taxes or cut spending on infrastructure and other critical projects, according to a paper released Monday by a Georgetown University professor.