Northeast

Former Fidelity Capital Markets public finance banker Mark T. Kim has joined the New York City comptroller’s office.

The New York Municipal Bond Bank Agency plans to market a pooled bond financing on behalf of six municipalities next month — the second such deal from the issuer in recent months.

Moody's Investors Service Friday placed the Battery Park City Authority on watch for a possible downgrade, citing an agreement under which the agency would transfer surplus funds to New York State and New York City.

New York City's revenue forecasting should be handled by the comptroller's office rather than the mayor's office, Comptroller John Liu said last week.

New York Gov. David Paterson last week appointed Brian Lawlor to head the state's housing agency and its housing bond agencies.

New Jersey voters could weigh in on whether to allow legalized sports betting if lawmakers approve placing the question on November's ballot.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority last week approved a five-year, $3.8 billion capital spending plan that includes $800 million of bonds to support mass transit infrastructure improvements in the greater Boston area.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch will pay New Jersey $4.87 million and repurchase auction-rate securities sold to investors in a settlement agreement over alleged misinformation regarding the floating-rate securities.

Even as a budget agreement eludes New York lawmakers, both houses of the Legislature have found common ground in seeking a shift to generally accepted accounting principles budgeting.

New Jersey's nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services projects that fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 tax collections will come in almost $250 million below Gov. Chris Christie's revenue estimates, due in part to sluggish sales tax receipts.