Southeast

Florida is appealing a judge’s September ruling that struck down its attempt to privatize 29 of the state’s prisons.

Tampa-area chambers of commerce reportedly are exploring the idea of creating a regional authority to broaden the taxable base that would finance a new stadium for Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.

The Birmingham City Council Tuesday urged Jefferson County to file for bankruptcy immediately, and asked Gov. Robert Bentley not to call a special session of the Legislature to assist the county with its debt and budget problems.

Over 1,400 of Alabama’s public school and college employees plan a mass exodus from their jobs on Dec. 1 due to mandated health insurance fee hikes, according to the Birmingham News.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The financially troubled Clay County Gas Utility District in Tennessee said Tuesday that it would redeem $200,000 of its $3.25 million of outstanding gas system revenue bonds on Dec. 1.

The Internal Revenue Service closed its audit of $28.72 million of special assessment bonds issued by the Bartram Park Community Development District in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2005 without any changes to the tax-exempt status of the bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Triple-A rated Georgia on Tuesday plans to competitively sell $401 million of new and refunding general obligation bonds.

DALLAS - Repairing and replacing New Orleans' damaged and obsolete water utility infrastructure will require more than $1 billion of new revenue debt by 2020 and a doubling of customer rates to finance and operate the water, sewer and drainage networks, a report warns.

BRADENTON, Fla.- The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is "dangerously overexposed" and should be downsized because unpredictable market conditions could prevent it from selling enough bonds to pay claims, according to the agency's executive director, Jack Nicholson.

A North Carolina subcommittee was to meet for the first time this week to “study potential options to provide relief to customers of the joint municipal power agencies from high electric rates.”