Muni Think

As Infrastructure Week ends, it’s sad to note that in the one area where all agree something must be done, there has been no progress.

Recent research suggests regulators on a global basis are overestimating the risks of infrastructure-related debt.

The municipal industry must broaden its involvement to include the significant cost of infrastructure itself as a consistent element of its analysis and services.

The loss of advance refunding hurts community control and stymies local infrastructure investment.

Companies' day-to-day interactions with the capital markets could be better exploited through the adoption of enterprise-wide reputation risk management strategies and the deployment of insurance products that validate the effectiveness of those practices.

A new law will convert local government CAFRs into a digital format, making statistics more readily available at low cost.

The proposed city of Eagles Landing would take the heart out of the city of Stockbridge, Georgia, with no apparent accommodation for its outstanding debt.

As the Electronic Municipal Market Access website enters its second decade, look for a series of investor-focused enhancements, including streamlined design and more intuitive navigation.

The net designated syndication rule is one whose time has passed. The municipal market should modernize, following the lead of other markets as to how issuer monies from its bond issues are paid to underwriters.

We have people on both sides of the aisle who have great achievements under their belts through their bi-partisan collaboration, financial ingenuity, strong commitment for public service and, equally importantly, who know how to “build bridges”, literally and figuratively.