Virginia

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Tuesday that Virginia’s revenue collections rose 10.6% in April.

WASHINGTON — Virginia won applause from Moody's Investors Service this week following an overhaul of its pension system, but neighboring Maryland received flak as the credit rating agency warned its proposed budget cuts could harm the credit of local governments.

Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell announced that the commonwealth has obtained all of the funds needed to proceed with its Elizabeth River Crossings project, including the full $300 million that the Virginia Department of Transportation has committed to the $2.1 billion public-private partnership.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a $422 million TIFIA loan for construction of a new midtown tunnel and rehabilitation of existing tunnels in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va.

A $300 million bond issue designed to keep tolls down on the controversial Dulles Toll Road may be in jeopardy as the Virginia General Assembly votes on a proposed budget that does not include the authorization for the debt.

Standard & Poor's issued its first public rating of a public-private partnership in the United States, a BBB-minus for a project to build a tunnel under the Elizabeth River between Norfolk, Va., and Portsmouth.

Treasurer Manju Ganeriwala has helped helm Virginia's finances through two governors and a global recession, and though the commonwealth has emerged in better shape than many states, she remains concerned about pension reform and what she feels are misguided efforts at muni market regulation by federal authorities.

WASHINGTON — The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to petition the Virginia Supreme Court for an appeal of a lower court's dismissal of their lawsuit against former financial advisor Davenport & Co. over $67.5 million of 2008 bonds.

A dispute over the revenue projections for the Dulles Toll Road provides the backdrop for a hearing the Fairfax County, Va., Board of Supervisors is preparing to hold March 20 to decide whether to approve the next phase of construction on an associated rail line.

WASHINGTON — A Fluvanna County, Va., circuit court judge on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit the county's Board of Supervisors had filed against their former financial advisor, Davenport & Co., after agreeing with the firm that the court could not decide the case under the state constitution's separation of powers doctrine.

The Virginia House of Representatives has stripped language creating a statewide tolling authority from legislation proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, rejecting a model of road finance that has fallen out of favor in recent years but remains viable for other states, according to transportation experts.

Fluvanna County, Va.'s Board of Supervisors and its former financial advisor, Davenport & Co., present two different versions of the December 2008 bond financing for a new high school in documents filed in connection with the board's lawsuit against the firm.

Fluvanna County, Va., and Davenport & Co., its financial advisor for 15 years, are battling each other in a circuit county court over whether the firm misled the county about $67.5 million of bonds sold in December 2008 to finance construction of a new high school.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said two major energy initiatives that would bring new revenues to the state and create thousands of jobs are moving forward in separate federal approval processes.

The Virginia Department of Transportation and the office of transportation public-private partnerships have released a request for information to develop a procurement strategy for the state’s five transportation operations centers.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The PFM Group has hired a veteran municipal finance professional in Virginia to open the firm's new office in Richmond.

WASHINGTON — A key Virginia lawmaker is sponsoring legislation that would raise nearly $1 billion annually for infrastructure through gas and sales taxes, after warning of a severe budget shortfall for road maintenance near the nation's capital and complaining the governor's transportation plan is only "a drop in the bucket,"

BRADENTON, Fla. — Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Wednesday laid out his legislative agenda to a joint session of the General Assembly, saying he would focus more spending on education, transportation and underfunded pensions.

Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell Monday outlined his biennial budget for fiscal 2013-14, which includes enhancing reserves to protect the state's gilt-edge ratings and additional funds to help insulate the state against cuts in federal revenue.

For the second year in a row, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell plans an aggressive strategy to keep the state's transportation projects moving forward at a fast clip.