Far West

The City of Industry Urban-Development Agency in California has agreed to pay $500,000 to the federal government to settle alleged tax-law violations and preserve the tax-exempt status of $68.1 million of tax allocation bonds it sold in 2003.

The Senate has approved a Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill that would establish a pilot program giving six airports the ability to set their own passenger facilities charges, which currently are capped at $4.50 and are used to back bonds.

WASHINGTON — Another extension of federal transportation programs beyond the end of this year is highly possible, a congressional aide and transportation industry sources said at a conference here yesterday.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee voted 13 to 10 along party lines Monday evening to approve a redrafted financial regulatory reform bill, with Republicans voting against the measure but vowing to work with Democrats on a compromise package before the bill reaches the full Senate for consideration, possibly next month.

WASHINGTON — With the Senate Banking Committee scheduled to begin marking up draft financial regulatory reform language as early as today, market participants are hopeful that lawmakers will be keen to fill potential loopholes in the bill’s provisions calling for the regulation of municipal market advisers.

DORAL, Fla. — An Obama administration official last week said the underwriting fees for Build America Bonds are coming down, and the expectation is that if the subsidized taxable borrowing program was made permanent, they would come down further.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Board of Commissioners late Thursday approved the first part of a big rate hike to fund the utility’s renewable energy efforts, and approved the sale of $720 million of power revenue bonds.

SAN FRANCISCO — A group of California cities and municipal utilities filed suit last week seeking to disqualify a ballot measure designed to erect barriers to publicly owned electricity providers.

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission issued an unusual report Thursday that showed JPMorgan did not comply with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s Rule G-37 on political contributions. But the report did not charge the firm with any violation of the rule or recommend any enforcement action.

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia’s chief financial officer is warning the mayor and District Council members against additional borrowing that would breach the 12% debt-to-expenditures cap.