City of Chicago, IL

Chicago plans to sell roughly $830 million of general obligation bonds to finance its 2024-28 capital improvement plan, according to the city's finance team.

Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority released a plan calling for $1.5 billion in operating funding from state and local sources and more RTA control.

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Chicago's general obligation debt to BBB from BBB-plus, saying the 2025 budget fails to address a structural imbalance.

Moody's Ratings said the 2025 budget that passed Chicago's City Council this month won't materially alter the credit profile of the city, which it rates Baa3.

Analysts warn the many one-time measures in the budget Mayor Brandon Johnson narrowly got through City Council will make the 2026 budget even harder.

S&P Global Ratings released a report this week warning that the credit trajectory of the Chicago Board of Education will hinge on several contested factors.

Chicago plans to bring to market $806 million of bonds on Thursday, a refinancing deal that will help close its fiscal 2024 budget gap.

A complex refinancing continues Chicago's break from past scoop-and-toss deals but front-loads savings to help balance its budget.

S&P Global Ratings placed Chicago's general obligation bond rating on watch negative Tuesday, warning against heavy reliance on one-time budget solutions.

As headline risk swirls around the Fed and the transition to the Trump administration, municipals have largely stayed in their own lane. November finds the municipal market "in far better technical shape, with an attractive backdrop through at least year-end," J.P. Morgan's Peter DeGroot said.