California

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announces plan to retire at end of the month even as 18 current and former sheriff's deputies face charges.

Bell, Calif., which achieved national notoriety after corrupt leaders pilfered city coffers, has turned a financial corner with the aid of court settlements and a $15 million property sale.

The San Francisco Unified School District is planning to sell $205 million of general obligation bonds on Thursday to finance construction and improvements throughout the district.

Most California school districts appear to be on the road to financial recovery with the help of new state funding amid economic recovery.

Fitch Ratings has assigned an AAApre rating with a negative watch to $2.3 billion Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor 1999 revenue series bonds that are being pre-refunded using the proceeds of a refinancing of the bonds conducted earlier this month.

A Los Angeles County joint powers authority achieved $33.6 million in gross savings on its inaugural $145 million refunding in a program for redevelopment successor agencies.

Carlo Savini Fowler, a California bond attorney in public finance for more than 45 years, died on Dec. 6. He was 81.

Fitch Ratings said it may downgrade the ratings on Sacramento City Unified School District, ahead of its $40 million refunding bond deal.

As Fresno, Calif. continues to struggle with a weak economy, rising labor costs, and falling bond ratings, market participants express concerns of bankruptcy risk.

After almost a year of anticipation, the long-looming ominous cloud of a Federal Reserve taper finally broke on the municipal market last week. The ensuing storm has been but a whimper, said Bank of America's Phil Fischer.

The five-day trial to settle a rate dispute between the San Diego County Water Authority and its wholesale water supplier ended without the judge making a ruling.

San Jose, Calif. cannot make voter approved pension cuts, but it can reduce pay to help fund higher retirement costs, a judge ruled on Monday.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the GOs of El Rancho Unified School District, Calif., A2 from A1 and gave the district a negative outlook.

California's Legislative Analyst Office said the proposed Pension Reform Act of 2014 could save hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in the long run for the state and local governments.

A California company that has strived for a decade to build a plant to turn rice straw into fiberboard received another extension from a conduit issuer on plans to issue $175 million in private activity bonds.

Moody's Investors Service has placed $6.6 billion of the California Department of Water Resources bonds on review for upgrade.

The Irwindale, Calif. Sriracha chili sauce manufacturing facility now being threatened by a lawsuit from Irwindale, Calif. had been promoted as a successful use of California's now defunct redevelopment law.

The city of Berkeley, Calif. is planning a competitive offering of $15 million of general obligation bonds to finance street improvements.

Moody's Investors Service has upgraded more than $600 million of outstanding bonds issued by the Northern California Power Agency.

A five-day trial began Tuesday in one of two lawsuits filed by the San Diego County Water Authority two years ago challenging rates set by its wholesale water provider.