News and Information from Bond Buyer

Tampa International Airport on Florida's west coast benefits from major financings this week and in August to support its largest capital plan in more than four decades.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its long-term rating to A-plus from A on St. Ignace Building Authority, Mich.'s series 2011 general obligation bonds issued for the city of St. Ignace.

Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., have introduced bipartisan disaster tax relief bills that include several bond provisions.

House leaders from both parties say the Senate should drop a multiyear bill and adopt a short-term HTF extension.

Illinois debt manager Jessica Akey is leaving state government to join Standard & Poor’s, multiple public finance sources said.

Burleigh County, N.D., is gearing up for the issuance of $90 million of sales-tax backed bonds to finance a new jail.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is proposing rate increases over a five year period on the water and power side to deal with an aging infrastructure.

Moody's Investors Service said it has downgraded to A1 from Aa3 the rating on Alcona Community Schools, Mich.'s general obligation unlimited tax debt.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds were higher at mid-session, traders said, as yields on some maturities fell by as much as four basis points.

Municipal bond funds have reported outflows for 11 straight weeks, as investor confidence gave way to concerns over the credit of such issuers such as Puerto Rico and Chicago and the probability of rising interest rates.

June tax revenue in New York was stronger than expected, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli reported.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer asked the New York City Council to delay its vote on restricting the number of cars that tech-driven ride service Uber can put on the streets.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual Existing Home Sales May: 5.32M June: 5.40M June: 5.49M

Existing home sales grew 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted 5.49 million-unit rate in June from a downwardly revised 5.32 million pace the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Wednesday.

A federal appellate panel tossed five of 18 corruption-related counts that landed former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich a 14-year sentence in 2011.

The outlook for Pennsylvania's most financially troubled school districts will remain bleak, according to Moody's.

Municipal bond market traders will be awaiting the second wave of new supply on Wednesday, as large deals from New York, Florida and Hawaii and are slated to come to market.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its long-term rating and underlying rating on Bastrop County, Texas' general obligation debt to AA from AA-minus.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, at its meeting next week, plans to discuss draft guidance on its best execution rule, its proposal to require dealers to provide pricing information to customers, and the reaction to its bid to ease standards for the public investor representative on its board.

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