Illinois

Federal relief and rising revenues drew a change in outlook from Moody's to stable from negative, but Moody's remains the only agency to rate Chicago at junk.

Michael Pagano, a "dean" of government finance with a national reputation, will hand the mantle as director of the university's Government Finance Research Center next month to Deborah Carroll.

The prominent Chicago health system's refunding will simplify its debt structure, cut interest rates, and provide longer-term fixed financing.

Chicago is looking for a financial advisor to help it assess casino development proposals due next month.

Spreads for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which manages Chicago's convention center, narrowed in an $811 million deal that priced Thursday.

Federal aid boosts Chicago Public Schools as a sea change in governance looms with elected school board legislation awaiting the governor's signature.

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority are heading into the bond market, buoyed by state rating upgrades.

The public transit agenices are benefitting from sales taxes that fared better than expected through the pandemic and the state's stronger fiscal footing

S&P followed Moody's in raising Illinois' general obligation rating, moving it to BBB as the state's fiscal picture brightens.

Chicago's net pension liabilities increased by $1.1 billion in 2020 to almost $33 billion.

Participants consider whether Illinois' recent upgrade is a one-off due to the flood of federal aid or a turning of the tide toward better fiscal decision-making that could help it climb further up the rating scale.

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority will scoop-and-toss fiscal 2022 debt service and current refund debt for savings as it looks to salve the lingering wounds inflicted by the pandemic.

After more than a decade of ratings deterioration, the lowest-rated state won an upgrade Tuesday, taking its Moody's rating to Baa2.

The fiscally strained Chicago suburb's firefighters' fund isn't entitled to share in ARPA relief under a 2018 settlement, a state circuit court judge ruled.

The county that includes Chicago projects a surplus this year that will replenish a reserve draw and a modest $121 million gap is projected next year.

Fitch revised Illinois' outlook to positive but the rating remains BBB-minus, the lowest investment grade.

Trying to break a logjam that has stalled clean energy legislation, Illinois moved back a decommissioning date by 10 years for Prairie State and Springfield's Dallman 4 plant.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the fiscal 2022 budget with good fiscal and market news in tow and announced his deputy for budget matters, Dan Hynes, is departing.

The city and school district's financial "entanglements" will be the subject of an independent financial review due before the first elections are held.

Analyst John Kenward and public finance commercial manager Kathy Evers retired this spring.