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Government

Miami-Dade County plans to use a public-private partnership to build and repair its court and jail facilities. Qualifications from firms will be sought soon.

Texas sales tax revenues recorded in January rose 11.2% year over year to $2.56 billion amid falling oil prices, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. The January totals were the third highest on record.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds ended flat on Thursday, traders said, with yields on some maturities unchanged. Elsewhere, another sector of the muni market has been garnering interest from investors and analysts – taxable municipal bonds.

While Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says the state must appropriate $12 million to patrol the border of Mexico for five months, House Speaker Joe Straus appears less enthusiastic about the costly proposal.

After years of contentious debate, construction is expected to soon begin on a starter streetcar system in downtown Milwaukee with the Common Council's approval of a $124 million capital budget for the 2.5 mile project.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its program rating on Crown Point Multi-School Building Corp., Ind.'s existing debt four notches to AA-plus from A and affirmed its AA-minus underlying rating on the building corporation's existing debt, issued for Crown Point Community School Corp.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes has approved $183 million of fees charged by professionals during the city's bankruptcy, in a ruling that heaps praise on the attorneys and consultants who worked on the city's behalf.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department wants to impose double-digit rate hikes to offset flat revenues even as the city and suburban leaders continue to try to hammer out a final deal to lease the troubled department to a regional authority for 40 years.

The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved a bill to make the state and local sales tax deduction permanent.

The $7.5 billion in bond authority California voters approved in November represents a fraction of what is needed to fund water projects in the state, experts told state lawmakers.

Moody's Investors Service said it has upgraded to A3 from Baa1 the rating on $71.3 million of Sarasota County, Fla.'s limited ad valorem tax bonds (environmentally sensitive lands and parkland program), Series 2008 and 2005; the outlook is positive.

House Transportation Committee approved rail legislation that prompts Amtrak to seek private partners for station development projects.

The crowdfunding site Fundrise is offering small investors a way into the Liberty Bonds issued to finance 3 World Trade Center, which were sold with a minimum $100,000 denomination.

Beverly Scott abruptly quit as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the storm-besieged agency that operates the Greater Boston subway and commuter rail system, after the MBTA's poor performance in recent snowstorms.

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $16 billion of 30-year bonds with a 2 1/2% coupon at a 2.560% high yield, a price of 98.748902.

Moody's Investors Service said it upgraded the long-term underlying rating on California Housing Finance Agency's home mortgage revenue bonds to A3 from Baa2.

As regulators push for more disclosure of bank loans, there is confusion about the implications for and obligations of dealers, issuers, and municipal advisors.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds were flat at mid-session, traders said, with yields on most maturities unchanged. Treasury bond prices were slightly stronger after the release of weak retail sales and weekly jobless claims data but bond gains were capped by rising equities.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $9 billion 30-year inflation-indexed notes on Feb. 19.