Far West

WASHINGTON — Transportation, water and energy infrastructure projects are most attractive for investment by public-private partnerships in the United States, according to a survey of construction company and engineering firm executives.

SAN FRANCISCO — Stockton, Calif., said it will negotiate with 18 creditors that have interests above $5 million during mediation meant to help the city restructure its debts to avoid bankruptcy.

Washington state lawmakers still haven’t come up with a budget to close a $1 billion deficit after a special session that lasted more than a week.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the senior and mezzanine structured-finance ratings on a 1999 series of single-family mortgage bonds issued by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association to A1 from Aaa and Aa2. The outlook is negative.

A missed deadline has put a crimp in Costa Mesa, Calif.’s plans to ask voters to amend the city charter so it can legally lay off employees and outsource services.

Los Angeles could have saved $700,000 on commodity purchases made in 2010 if it had made better spending decisions, according to a report from the city controller’s office.

A coalition has launched a bid to force Sacramento leaders to put the city’s $250 million commitment to a new National Basketball Association arena on the ballot.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Miami officials have been told that civil charges may be brought against the city for failing to disclose serious budget problems in recent bond offerings.

WASHINGTON — House Transportation Committee chairman Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., will introduce a three-month extension of temporary law reauthorizing highway and transit programs — the ninth such extension — before the end of the month.

Rep. Bob Gibbs has drafted legislation that would create a TIFIA-type program to lower the cost of capital for water utilities, but state and local officials testifying at a hearing on Wednesday worried that it might eventually be used to replace, rather than supplement, state revolving loan funds.