City of Chicago, IL

Moody's Investors Service bumped Chicago's outlook to positive from stable, while affirming the city's Baa3 issuer and general obligation bond ratings.

So far, the temporary Bally's casino in Chicago has brought in about a quarter of the tax revenue it needs to generate to keep up with budget expectations.

Joe Ferguson, who served as Chicago's inspector general under three mayoral administrations, replaces Laurence Msall, who died earlier this year.

The city of Chicago and its Sales Tax Securitization Corporation won The Bond Buyer's 22nd annual Deal of the Year award for its $1.7 billion financing that addressed initiatives related to affordable housing, homelessness support services, environmental justice, and community development.

The city may also issue an RFP for underwriters, though the timing is not set, said CFO Jill Jaworski.

Bennett joins the university as associate vice president of finance under CFO Ivan Samstein, former Cook County CFO.

The Bond Buyer's Deal of the Year awards will mark the 22nd year it has recognized outstanding achievement in municipal finance. The event, to be held Dec. 5 in New York City, will also include the presentation of the Freda Johnson Awards for Trailblazing Women in Public Finance.

Fitch Ratings did a deep dive on the nation's major airport capital programs, as projects have begun, and how they plan to fund them.

The rating agency raised the city's general obligation and sales tax securitization bond ratings a notch to BBB-plus and AA-plus respectively.

The proposed spending plan includes the first chunk of money from the city's new casino, which will support underfunded police and fire pensions.

Photos from The Bond Buyer's 2023 Infrastructure conference.

Photos from The Bond Buyer's 2023 Infrastructure conference.

Investors and ratings analysts look beyond the bevy of local hospitality taxes backing MetPier's debt to the state sales tax that acts as the paper's ultimate security.

How to fill the gap left by ridership declines is the question facing transit agencies, said panelists at The Bond Buyer's Infrastructure Conference.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to unveil a spending blueprint with new revenue proposals next month.

"In the coming weeks, we will be taking a much closer look at the challenges we face and how we will address those challenges reasonably and responsibly," said Mayor Brandon Johnson.

"As an investor I'm not looking at the activity of the stadium as the security," said an Illinois sports authority bondholder of potential exits by the White Sox and Chicago Bears.

Under Reynolds' leadership, Loop has grown into a full-service investment firm with more than 260 employees that's one of the world's largest minority or women-owned investment banking firms.

The Senate proclamation says Shields left behind "an indelible mark on the public finance industry."

Her prolific coverage and willingness to share knowledge with local reporters brought transparency and accountability to Midwest public finance.