Indiana

CHICAGO — Faced with aging infrastructure and a pledge to not raise taxes, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard wants to use public-private partnerships to raise new revenue that could fund water and sewer upgrades and other citywide projects.

CHICAGO — The Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank today will price $466.6 million of debt, marking the second piece of financing for a new $754 million public safety hospital in downtown Indianapolis.

CHICAGO — A central Indiana task force yesterday unveiled a nearly $10 billion regional transportation plan that recommends imposing a local sales tax and building express toll lanes to help keep Indianapolis competitive in the Midwest.

CHICAGO — Purdue University in Indiana will enter the market today with $73.6 million of student fee bonds to refinance some of its variable-rate debt into a fixed-rate mode.

CHICAGO — The Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank will enter the market today with about $200 million of bonds, in the first of two borrowings that will finance construction of a new, $754 million safety-net hospital for ­Marion County.

CHICAGO — Indiana stands out “like a peony in a parking lot” among the states for the relatively small size of its budget problems, Gov. Mitch Daniels said in his annual state of the state address Tuesday night.

CHICAGO — The Indiana Bond Bank Thursday plans to price $300 million of notes as part of its annual financing to help cover anticipated cash-flow shortfalls for local governments and school districts across the state.

CHICAGO — The Indiana Finance Authority Monday afternoon will begin taking retail orders on $350 million of triple-A rated state revolving fund program refunding bonds, before opening the sale to institutional buyers Wednesday.

A handful of Midwestern state housing authorities, most of them shut out of the credit market this year, are acting to take advantage of the U.S. government's temporary new-issue bond program to jump-start their ability to provide new mortgages.

CHICAGO — The Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank tomorrow or Wednesday plans to price $112.3 million of notes to cover short-term cash-flow deficits for the city, Marion ­County, and the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library.

CHICAGO — Indiana has suffered 14 straight months of falling revenues, prompting Gov. Mitch Daniels to again ordered a round of spending cuts — this time targeting higher education and contributions to employees’ deferred compensation accounts.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has appointed a new president and five new members to the cash-strapped Marion County Capital Improvement Board, which manages the city’s sports venues and convention center.

Fitch Ratings downgraded $98 million of general obligation bonds issued for the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library to AA from AAA.

CHICAGO — Voters in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan were in the mood to say yes Tuesday, approving bond issues for a new hospital in Indianapolis, a capital improvement plan for Detroit Public Schools, and a measure allowing casinos to set up shop in Ohio’s four largest cities.

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council has formed a committee to recommend solutions to the ongoing deficit at the Marion County Capital Improvement Board, which oversees the city’s sports venues and convention center.

Midwestern voters head to the polls tomorrow to cast decisions on elected offices, new casinos, and more than 125 ballot questions that would authorize more than $3.3 billion worth of borrowing, led by Detroit Public Schools' $500 million request and $750 million for a new public hospital in Indiana.

CHICAGO — Indiana has dropped a securities fraud complaint against Chrysler LLC after the automaker agreed to return $5.5 million of bonds that Tipton County issued to finance infrastructure for a now-abandoned transmission plant.

CHICAGO — Novi, Mich.-based Trinity Health Credit Group will enter the market today with $233 million of fixed-rate revenue bonds, followed by $102 million of variable-rate securities in two weeks to finance hospital projects in Indiana and Michigan.

Moody’s Investors Service last week downgraded Lafayette to A1 from Aa3, affecting just under $5 million of outstanding general obligation debt and $25.6 million of outstanding lease rental revenue bonds. Moody’s also dropped to $5.1 million of economic development income-tax supported bonds A3 from A2 issued by the city.

The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns said this week it would begin lobbying state lawmakers for new municipal taxing authority.