Northeast

Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on Westchester County’s triple-A rating to negative from stable, affecting about $1 billion of debt that includes $836 million of general obligation bonds and $120 million of outstanding lease revenue bonds.

Massachusetts’ $30.6 billion budget for fiscal 2012, which restored $65 million in local aid and improved the ability of governments to manage health-care costs, is a credit-positive for municipalities, Moody’s Investors Service said.

The New York City Transitional Finance Authority plans to sell $900 million of future tax-secured subordinate bonds in two series next week.

The rising debt of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is "an absolute ticking time bomb," its finance committee chairman said Wednesday.

CHICAGO - New York-based Rice Financial Products Co. announced this week the addition of veteran public finance professional Courtney Knight to its Chicago office to help carve out more Midwestern business and bolster its state-level business nationwide.

The Maine Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority plans to sell $290 million of Series 2011 revenue bonds Tuesday to benefit a construction spree by the MaineGeneral Medical Center.

One city is a capital in a large state often considered a battleground in presidential elections. The other occupies a blighted square mile in the nation's smallest state.

Preliminary general fund revenues for fiscal 2011 were $1.15 billion or about $34 million ahead of target, Vermont Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding announced.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority has selected a former Pennsylvania general counsel and former bond lawyer to lead the rebuilding of its general counsel office.

The New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. announced the issuance of $191.7 million in state revolving fund bonds, which will refund bonds for 47 communities for a combined savings of $9.7 million.