Florida

The Miami-Dade County Commission wants the Justice department to dismiss its antitrust suit to block the merger of US Airways and American Airlines.

The Village Center Community Development District in Florida is urging the Internal Revenue Service to allow its $427.2 million of bonds to remain tax-exempt, claiming the IRS’ finding that the bonds are taxable alters long-standing and well-settled law and should not be retroactively applied.

Florida’s Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority will seek a new director after a flap between board members about decisions, including the resignation of the CFO.

Miami-Dade County is preparing the first bonds for a $1 billion capital improvement program at PortMiami to prepare for larger ships to arrive through the Panama Canal.

Fitch Ratings has returned Florida's outlook to stable from negative, becoming the last of the three major rating agencies to do so following the economic downturn.

Standard & Poor's dropped the investment-grade rating of an 11-year-old charter school in Boynton Beach, Fla., well into junk territory.

The University of Florida's Shands Healthcare has agreed to pay $26.2 million to settle allegations due to overpayments by Medicare and Medicaid.

Florida's debt management policy now requires that underwriters certify that they are not engaging in prohibited transactions with Iran or Sudan.

The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority, which has been in default on toll revenue bonds since July 2011, has agreed to have a traffic study done.

The Internal Revenue Service sent an updated Form 5701 Notice of Proposed Issue to Florida's Village Center Community Development District this week with regard to it not being a political subdivision for tax-exempt financing purposes.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott plans to sue Georgia in an attempt to stop the state's 'unchecked' fresh water consumption, which is parching Apalachicola oyster beds.

Municipal bond issuance in the Southeast dropped nearly 12% to $30.7 billion in the first half of 2013. Sales were down in eight of the 11 states comprising the region.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a task force to recommend a uniform process for establishing public-private partnerships at all levels of government.

The Reedy Creek Improvement District, the municipal services and financing arm of the Disney Co., plans to sell $383.56 million of tax exempt, ad valorem tax bonds starting Tuesday.

Florida's debt is declining by the billions and its economy is "back on track," according to experts watching the Sunshine state's vital signs.

Moody's said a recent IRS ruling affecting the Village Center Community Development District's tax-exempt status will not impact the agency's ratings on other district ratings.

Moody's Investors Service said legislative reform measures related to Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corp. are positive factors for the state's largest property insurer.

Miami told bondholders that it will "vigorously defend" itself against securities fraud charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's recent enforcement action against Miami, Fla. signals the commission's seriousness about both upholding prior cease and desist orders and holding public officials accountable, market participants said.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott held a ceremonial signing of House Bill 85 Friday to bring further attention to the Sunshine State's new comprehensive law governing public-private partnerships.