Far West

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is seeking comment from the public and federal government agencies on the guidance it issued for provisions in the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, which provided additional volume cap for tax-exempt housing bonds.

State and local tax revenues in the fourth quarter of 2011 grew by 2.1% from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth, the Census Bureau said in a report issued Thursday.

Analysts are still weighing the impact a decision by the California Public Employees' Retirement System to lower its investment assumptions will have on local governments.

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.