New York

Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino wants to join a lawsuit challenging the legality of a tax enacted last year to help fund mass transit capital projects in the New York City area, he announced Wednesday.

The New York Liberty Development Corp. plans to re-offer bonds sold last year to finance development at the World Trade Center site and “re-escrow” the proceeds for at least a month.

New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino said Tuesday he would repeal a tax meant to support bonds for New York City transit projects, slash Medicaid, and cut personal income taxes.

New York State’s and New York City’s borrowing authorities plan to issue up to $8.77 billion of new-money bonds in the fourth quarter, according to a forward issuance calendar released Monday by the state comptroller’s office. The issuers also plan $1.24 billion of refundings and a $90 million conversion of variable-rate bonds.

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York plans to begin institutional pricing on $1.36 billion of new-money personal income tax bonds on Monday. DASNY took retail orders on Thursday and Friday on the tax-exempt portion of the deal, which also includes traditional taxable bonds and taxable Build America Bonds.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie picked former state Attorney General David Samson to replace Anthony Coscia on Thursday as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

New York City needs a more transparent and accountable system for implementing community benefits agreements with private developers that receive public subsidies, according to a task force ­convened by the city comptroller.

The oversight board that monitors ­Nassau County, N.Y., said the county’s proposed 2011 budget is not balanced due to risky assumptions.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s finance committee approved a pool of banks Monday that could replace liquidity facilities on $4.6 billion of variable-rate bonds due to expire over the next four years.

The Clarkstown Central School District in Rockland County, N.Y., following an independent audit, has begun implementing procedures to better track capital projects and prevent adverse exposure to federal tax laws regarding accounting for bond proceeds.

New York City plans to begin selling $1.3 billion of general obligation bonds this week when it offers retail investors a refunding portion of the deal on Friday.

The Long Island Power Authority plans to sell Build America Bonds for 2011 capital needs by the end of this year to take advantage of the program before it expires or changes.

The new slate of bond counsel firms announced Wednesday by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York includes three teams pairing large firms with smaller minority-owned firms.

New York City’s two economic development issuers adopted new disclosure practices at a monthly board meeting on Tuesday.

New York Lieut. Gov. Richard Ravitch on Monday called for an overhaul of the state Medicaid system, which he said was on an unsustainable growth path.

New York’s large public university systems plan to market back-to-back bond issues this week with two tax-exempt offerings totaling $323.7 million.

New York Democrats chose Sen. Eric Schneiderman on Tuesday as their candidate for attorney general in November.

The New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority plans to market $800 million of fixed-rate bonds in two back-to-back deals this week and next.

Parking garages serving the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx are headed for default on $237.6 million of tax-exempt bonds due to low usage in the face of cheaper alternatives, the borrower disclosed last month.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will offer up to $900 million of tax-exempt bond anticipation notes issued in the form of commercial paper under a new program.