Pennsylvania

An extra layer of state oversight loosely based on the Harrisburg receivership may evolve from Pennsylvania's new time limit for distressed municipalities to stay in its Act 47 program.

The Penn Institute for Urban Research will host the discussion, on urban fiscal policy and public pensions on Nov. 11 in Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh plans to come to market next week with a refunding of $70 million in general obligation bonds in two series.

Sound fiscal practices are vital for Pennsylvania's distressed cities, regardless of how long they stay in the state-sponsored Act 47 workout program, analysts say. A new law will limit cities' stay in Act 47.

The Penn. requirement that the Philadelphia School District's teachers pay 5%, 10% or 13% of their healthcare premiums is a credit positive for the district, Moody's Investors Service said.

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and six central Pennsylvania mayors will discuss local finances in an Oct. 27 roundtable discussion in Harrisburg.

A recently passed Philadelphia cigarette tax is a temporary plus for the financially-distressed Philadelphia School District, said Moody's Investors Service.

Housing policies have reached turning points in New York City and Philadelphia, but for different reasons — New York has an affordability problem, while Philadelphia has a quality problem, some experts say.

A lease the Pennsylvania government signed for the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority's 12-story Verizon Tower doesn't generate the revenue needed to prevent a default by the city on its debt-service guarantee for the project, said Moody's.

Fitch Ratings downgraded the Philadelphia School District's underlying rating to BB-minus from BB Tuesday.

A Lackawanna County Court ruled that Scranton, Pa., overstepped in assessing a commuter tax on nonresidents.

The city treasury of Harrisburg, Pa., is free of security breaches, its interim treasurer said, after an investigation that followed his predecessor's arrest for theft from two local nonprofits.

Pennsylvania's P3 board approved a project seeking a private partner to develop clean-burning compressed natural gas fueling stations at public transit agencies statewide.

Standard & Poor's handed Pennsylvania its third GO downgrade in three months and second in a week, lowering it to AA-minus from AA.

Gov. Tom Corbett and his staff derided as campaign "silly season" the alarm bells raised by Pennsylvania's treasurer and auditor general over Pennsylvania's recent short-term borrowing.

Another bond-rating hammer falls on Pennsylvania as Fitch downgrades the state's GO bonds to AA-minus.

Philadelphia reached a deal with one of its unions requiring $127 million in additional spending over the course of its five year plan covering fiscal years 2015 to 2019.

Moments after Janney Capital Markets cited "cracks" in the foundation of state credit quality nationwide, Pennsylvania said it would have to loan money to itself to keep running.

Pennsylvania's House Urban Affairs Committee approved a bill that would enable capital city Harrisburg to develop vacant, desolate, underused or abandoned space.

State Farm agreed to a three-year sponsorship deal with Pennsylvania in the first agreement under the P3 law Gov. Tom Corbett signed in 2012.