Midwest

CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings downgraded Akron, Ohio, as the city prepares to hit the market Monday with a $76 million general obligation borrowing as part of its annual debt issuance to finance capital projects.

CHICAGO — Hoping to capitalize on the lull in supply slated for this week, Wisconsin will take competitive bids Monday on $200 million of transportation revenue bonds in a deal that includes a mix of tax-exempt securities and taxable Build America Bonds.

CHICAGO — Ohio will enter the market Monday with $300 million of tax-exempt bonds and taxable Build America Bonds to finance higher education capital projects across the state.

California, New York, and Illinois are making a play for more than $1.2 billion of high-speed rail funding that was awarded to two Midwestern states whose Republican governors-elect plan to reject the grants.

CHICAGO — The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board of commissioners on Thursday advanced the plans for a $500 million sale of mostly Build America Bond in mid-December, though officials said the timing, size, and mix of securities hinge on interest rates.

CHICAGO — Officials in Hamtramck, Mich., said they would try to set up a meeting with state Treasurer Robert Kleine in a fresh effort to win permission to file for bankruptcy.

CHICAGO — Officials in Hamtramck, Mich., said they would try to set up a meeting with state Treasurer Robert Kleine in a fresh effort to win permission to file for bankruptcy.

CHICAGO — Michigan officials Wednesday said they denied a request by the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck for permission to file for bankruptcy.

CHICAGO — A Detroit legislator was poised Wednesday to sponsor a package of bills that would allow Michigan to securitize up to $400 million of its tobacco settlement payments to erase the deficits carried by Detroit Public Schools and 41 other state school districts.

CHICAGO — The Chicago City Council overwhelmingly approved Mayor Richard Daley’s $6.15 billion budget for 2011, with only a handful of members attacking it as fiscally irresponsible because of a heavy reliance on reserves and other one-shots to eliminate a $654 million deficit without tax increases.