Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation yesterday released a plan that provides a framework for potential rail development during the next 25 years.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Harrisburg City Council Tuesday evening approved the appointment of three board members to the Harrisburg Authority, with the expectation that the new members will help the agency address its $282 million of outstanding incinerator debt.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Harrisburg, Pa., Mayor Linda Thompson yesterday delivered her first state of the city address, pledging to work with stakeholders to tackle $282 million of outstanding incinerator debt and bring Pennsylvania’s capital city into fiscal solvency.

Pennsylvania and municipal officials within the next two weeks could finalize a potential forbearance agreement regarding $282 million of Harrisburg Authority incinerator bonds that would give the city 90 days to craft a repayment plan.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell yesterday called for a special legislative session to find $472.5 million for fiscal 2011 transportation needs as the Federal Highway Administration denied, for the second time, the state’s request to implement tolls on Interstate 80.

Pennsylvania Sen. Jake Corman, R-District 34, Wednesday said the Senate would not act on a fiscal 2011 budget bill until mid-May, but warned of another budget stalemate if Democratic leaders propose tax hikes to help balance next year’s spending plan.

Pennsylvania-based ACTS Retirement-Life Communities Inc., the largest nonprofit continuing care retirement community provider in the U.S., will affiliate with two smaller East Coast senior-living centers, a move that may boost debt-service coverage for one.

Harrisburg, Pa., will operate under a budget that does not include payments for debt service on outstanding incinerator bonds after the City Council Tuesday evening declined to override Mayor Linda Thompson’s budget veto.

Allegheny County officials are working on a $2 billion initiative to expand public transportation between downtown Pittsburgh and its Oakland neighborhood — the city’s academic and cultural hub — and to boost mass transit within Oakland itself.

Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson Friday vetoed the Pennsylvania capital city’s $65 million fiscal 2010 budget because it doesn’t include current-year debt service obligations to bondholders on $282 million of outstanding incinerator debt.

The Harrisburg Authority's incinerator debt has enough funds in its debt-service reserve accounts to meet a March 1 payment to investors, according to Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp.

Cash-strapped Harrisburg, Pa., could miss a March 1 debt-service payment of $2 million on debt backed by Pennsylvania’s capital city, according to city Controller Dan Miller.

With an eye beyond the next fiscal year, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell yesterday released his fiscal 2011 budget proposal and urged a broadening of the state’s sales tax and corporate tax to help address projected deficits in the billions for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center next week will issue $720 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds, part of the health care provider’s $1.1 billion debt refinancing plan.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving forward with bipartisan legislation that would prohibit cities, towns and school districts throughout the state from entering into swap agreements.

A group of Allegheny County, Pa., residents angered over the planned closing of Braddock Hospital are trying to stop a $1.17 billion University of Pittsburgh Medical Center refunding deal and anticipate filing suit against a state conduit agency if it moves ahead with the bond sale.

Pennsylvania Wednesday will take bids for $900 million of ­general obligation debt — ­including the largest competitive Build America Bond transaction thus far.

With a new table-games bill, Pennsylvania now has a balanced fiscal 2010 budget after more than six months of debate and legislative stalemate and just one month before Gov. Edward Rendell releases his fiscal 2011 budget proposal.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell yesterday said he is “very hopeful” he will receive a table-games bill by the end of the week, which would help balance the fiscal 2010 budget and avoid 1,000 state employee layoffs, but he warned that any future general revenue shortfalls may require reducing the state’s payroll this year.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell Tuesday picked C. Daniel Hassell to serve as acting secretary of the Department of Revenue, the same day that Stephen Stetler stepped down from the post amid corruption charges.