City of Philadelphia, PA

The city is looking to tackle infrastructure investments through a $181 million Election Day bond referendum.

With Philadelphia’s general fund surplus returned to near pre-recession levels, the city’s fiscal watchdog says now is the time to prepare for the next economic downturn.

Economic growth and increased local taxes drove Philadelphia to its highest surplus since the Great Recession in the last fiscal year, according to the city’s fiscal watchdog.

A Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling allows the city to move ahead with borrowing plans that were placed on hold during its legal fight.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority, already under state scrutiny for costing public schools nearly $78 million of revenues because of mismanagement, is now a focus of the city’s new fiscal watchdog.

The school district established a leadership team as it exercizes local control for the first time in more than 16 years.

Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart discusses her election victory last year knocking off a longtime incumbent along with some of the city’s most pressing fiscal issues including a controversial soda tax and whether to continue providing abatements on new construction. Andrew Coen hosts.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will determine the future of the city's beverage tax policy.

Rising property values prompted a new look at a tax incentive policy implemented at the turn of the 21^st century.

Pittsburgh exited successfully from the Act 47 workout, but other communities hang around for decades.

The city has underfunded pensions and plans to increase spending to support its school district.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s budget accounts for lower beverage tax projections by borrowing less for planned infrastructure projects.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney wants new tax revenue to help the city’s cash-strapped school district erase a massive deficit.

The first full year of Philadelphia soda tax collections came in $12.2 million below projections.

The municipal bond market saw deals from far and wide this week as the threat of tax reform changes spurred a rush to issuance that will continue into the next week.

The municipal bond market priced deals from Partners Healthcare, South Miami Health and Empire State Development as investors waited for final details of tax law changes affecting private activity bonds.

The council is exploring legislation to collect around $492 million in delinquent real estate taxes that could aid the city’s school district.

The municipal bond market saw Empire State Development sell almost $2 billion of bonds in five competitive offerings on Thursday as the market focused on tax changes being worked on in Washington.

Municipal issuers continue to race to market with deals before the calendar turns over, as the tax bill may limit issuance in 2018.

The Philadelphia School District’s planned transition back to local control after 16 years of state control could add credit pressure the city’s 13 charter schools, according to S&P Global Ratings.