Florida

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund plans to pursue pre-event funding during the coming months, most likely in the municipal bond market.

Fitch Ratings upgraded to AA-plus about $93 million of utility system revenue bonds of the Tohopekaliga Water Authority, Fla.

Moody's Investors Service said Monday that a rate hike on insurance premiums for customers of Florida's Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is credit positive. Citizens has about $5.4 billion of municipal debt outstanding.

Voters across Florida face 11 constitutional amendments next month, and two of them could significantly impact revenues for state and local government budgets.

Broward County, Fla., hired former Beverly Hills CFO Scott G. Miller as its new chief financial officer.

Moody's Investors Service upgraded Jupiter, Fla.'s general obligation bonds to Aaa from Aa1, giving the town three gilt-edge ratings.

Sarasota, Fla. Finance Director Chris Lyons will retire.

A favorable market and investor interest led Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to price $338 million of taxable pension obligation bonds Wednesday, a day earlier than originally planned.

Florida's Fort Lauderdale plans to sell $338 million of taxable pension obligation bonds in a deal designed to entice and assure investors by limiting future benefit hikes.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled that a lawsuit challenging the Legislature's education budget cuts must go forward.

Port St. Lucie, Fla. is telling bondholders that the bankruptcy of Digital Domain will not impede debt-service payments on bonds issued for the firm's abandoned campus there.

The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority, which built a north Florida toll bridge with bonds that are now in default, will ask the trustee to fund its first audit in 12 years.

A real estate developer in St. Petersburg, Fla., will present his idea for building the Tampa Bay Rays a new stadium to the City Council.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., City Commission Wednesday approved issuing $340 million of taxable pension obligation bonds to pay 75% of the city's unfunded liability.

The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority has named interim director Max Crumit to be the Florida agency's permanent leader.

Backed by four ratings, among them Kroll Bond Rating Agency's first in Florida, Orange County hopes to reap extra savings during Thursday's $101.6 million refunding sale.

Moody's Investors Service has expanded its review for potentially downgrading Miami to include pension obligations and health care costs in addition to pending SEC charges.

Municipal bond issuance in the Southeast during the first half of this year was up by 57% to $34 billion - nearly the same amount that was lost between 2011 and 2010.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., City Commissioners Tuesday selected the finance team for the proposed issuance of $340 million of taxable pension bonds.

The Miami-Dade School Board last week gave final approval to placing a referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot to ask voters for approval to issue $1.2 billion of bonds for its South Florida schools.