Florida

The Central Florida Expressway Authority selected insider Laura Kelley to become the agency’s first female executive director.

Florida's Citizens Property Insurance Corp. officials say they hope two rating upgrades will help expand the investor base for this week's pricing of $1 billion of senior revenue bonds.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has ordered state agencies to prepare lists of "critical state funding needs" in the event there is a government shutdown on July 1 amid an impasse over the state's fiscal 2016 budget.

Florida’s private passenger train developer has hired Miami-based contractor Archer Western to upgrade a 66-mile segment of rail infrastructure between Miami and West Palm Beach.

The Internal Revenue Service has closed audits with no changes to $1.38 billion of Build America Bonds issued by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority in 2009 and bonds from a $26.56 million mortgage revenue and refunding issue sold by Lakeland, Fla. in 2008.

The developer of the private All Aboard Florida passenger train expects to complete the project even if it cannot benefit from $1.75 billion in tax exempt private activity bonds, according to documents filed in federal court.

Florida Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments May 7 in two appeals challenging the Florida Development Finance Corp.’s validation of $2 billion in bonds for a PACE program; one appeal says Florida’s PACE law is unconstitutional.

Attorneys for All Aboard Florida told a federal judge that the private passenger train owners could close on $1.75 billion in tax exempt private activity bonds around June 8.

The Internal Revenue Service should withdraw or alter a controversial 2013 memorandum relating to the definition a political subdivision, provide interim guidance, and propose new rules that apply prospectively, the tax-exempt financing committee of American Bar Association's taxation section said.

Jacksonville, Fla., will hire a forensic specialist to audit the city's severely underfunded Police and Fire Pension Fund.

An Internal Revenue Service memorandum that would render a community development district's bonds taxable should not be retroactive because a House committee last year urged guidance on political subdivisions be prospective, the CDD's lawyer said.

After 42 years at Moody's Investors Service, John Incorvaia is retiring after spending most of his analytical career covering Florida. April 30 is his last day on the job.

A second federal lawsuit has been filed challenging the private activity bond financing for the All Aboard Florida train project; the latest suit comes from Martin County, Fla.

The Florida House of Representatives abruptly ended their session Tuesday afternoon following a standoff with the Senate over Medicaid expansion. The session was to run through Friday.

Moody's Investors Service changed the outlook to positive just ahead of a $225.8 million deal by the Florida Department of Transportation to pay for turnpike improvements.

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund plans to finance a portion of its liquidity needs by issuing $1.2 billion in taxable municipal bonds.

Florida city and county officials worry local powers would be usurped by a bill giving a state agency authority to issue industrial development bonds without their permission.

Martin County, Fla., decided April 14 to hire Chicago-based McDermott, Will & Emery to institute litigation against the All Aboard Florida passenger train project.

Legislation pending in Florida would allow municipal utilities to securitize charges on their customers' water and sewer bills to finance capital.

Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. expects to issue $1 billion in tax exempt notes in mid-May to provide liquidity for the upcoming hurricane season.