Pennsylvania

Standard & Poor’s upgraded its long-term rating and underlying rating on Philadelphia’s general obligation debt to BBB-plus from BBB, with a positive outlook.

Harrisburg has named Ricardo Mendez-Saldivia business administrator and chief of staff, Mayor Linda Thompson announced Friday.

Harrisburg, Pa.'s state-appointed receiver has asked the U.S. attorney and Pennsylvania attorney general to examine the incinerator bond deals that left the capital city with more than $300 million of debt that it can't repay.

Nancy Winkler recalled speaking with an investor, shortly after taking over as Philadelphia's city treasurer. The conversation, she said, is an effective warning that cities on the rebound must sell themselves effectively to investors.

Some lawmakers want to fine-tune Pennsylvania's program for distressed communities, commonly known as Act 47, after it took a serious blow last fall from a state Supreme Court ruling about public employee arbitration.

Harrisburg’s City Council will schedule a public hearing within days over the Pennsylvania capital’s missing audits from 2009 and 2010.

With the Pennsylvania General Assembly considering legislation to rework the redevelopment assistance capital program, state Treasurer Rob McCord offered additional changes that he said would enhance the capital budget process.

Four companies remain in the running to purchase the incinerator in Harrisburg, Pa., that is the focal point of the city's debt crisis.

The state-appointed receiver overseeing Harrisburg, Pa.' finances said he will announce on Tuesday his short list of qualified bidders to operate the city' incinerator, water and sewer system, and parking system.

Pennsylvania’s General Assembly has advanced to the Senate a bill requiring an annual financial and management audit of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission by auditors in both the Keystone State and New Jersey.

Harrisburg's intention to skip general obligation bond payments totaling $5.3 million that are due Thursday have bond market and other observers wondering what will happen next in Pennsylvania's capital city.

Harrisburg, Pa., will skip $5.3 million in general obligation bond payments due March 15, its state-appointed receiver said Friday.

Fitch Ratings downgraded Chester Community Charter School’s revenue bonds to BB from BBB, bringing the Pennsylvania school’s rating to below investment grade.

Financially distressed Harrisburg, Pa., plans an eight-day auction of Wild West artifacts in mid-July, Mayor Linda Thompson announced.

When the Pennsylvania Economic Development Authority issued $107 million of debt in January to bail out defaulted bonds in connection with the 10-story Forum Place office building in Harrisburg, critics called it another incinerator-type fiasco in Pennsylvania's capital city.

The attorney representing Harrisburg, Pa.'s City Council in its bankruptcy filing has filed another appeal of the rejection of its Chapter 9 case.

The Harrisburg Authority public-works agency has authorized chairman Marc Kurowski and interim executive director Shannon Williams to explore selling authority-owned historical artifacts through the same auction house that is selling similar items the city of Harrisburg, Pa., owns, the Patriot-News reported.

Three Harrisburg citizens, including a former mayoral candidate, have requested a federal court to impose an emergency temporary injunction to halt the state-appointed receiver in Pennsylvania's capital city from implementing a financial recovery plan.

It could take two years to close the deal, but Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter favors selling the city's 175-year-old gas company if price and conditions are acceptable.

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania will hold a public hearing on receiver David Unkovic’s financial recovery plan for capital city Harrisburg on March 1.