News and Information from Bond Buyer

Floridians likely will see water and sewer rates increase, and utilities may see greater political pressure around future rate hikes, according to Fitch.

Moody's Investors Service revised its outlook on Illinois Wesleyan University's Baa1 rating to positive due to its improved operating performance.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued a proclamation setting the vote on a ballot question to amend the state constitution raising the sales tax to fund transportation projects for the Aug 5.

The large Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority system revenue and refunding bonds that priced by Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Thursday was received well, market participants said.

A group of lawyers is urging the Treasury Department to modify its procedures for state and local government series securities so the department does not have to completely halt SLGS sales every time the federal government nears its congressionally-mandated debt limit.

A power generating unit at the mostly bond-financed Prairie State Energy Campus in Illinois was damaged but the operating company said it should come back online by summer.

Qualified 501(c)(3) bonds are a financing tool that can be used to grow nonprofits' clean-energy infrastructure and reduce their energy expenditures, the Clean Energy and Bond Finance Initiative said in a recently released paper.

Fitch Ratings said it has upgraded the Cotati Community Redevelopment Agency, Calif., $6.4 million 2001 subordinate tax allocation bonds series A (Cotati Redevelopment Project) to A-plus from A.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its long-term rating and underlying rating to AAA from AA-plus on Harvard, Mass.' general obligation bonds.

P3s are useful financial tools, not magical risk-free solutions, for increased state funding of transportation projects, NASBO says.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it lowered its underlying rating on Southfield Economic Development Corp., Mich.'s variable-rate demand revenue bonds, issued for Lawrence Technological University, one notch to BB-plus from BBB-minus.

King's Daughters Medical Center will pay $40.9 million to settle allegations of federal health care fraud, a penalty that is among the largest of its kind in Kentucky.

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion of seven-year notes, with a 2% coupon, a 2.010% high yield, a price of 99.934945.

Gov. Jerry Brown's revised proposal to change infrastructure financing district law needs more work in order to be useful, according to the League of California Cities.

The decade-long process leading to the construction of the new $1.26 billion Gerald Desmond Bridge to serve the Port of Long Beach, Calif. is gathering steam.

Richard Marvin, a 26-year municipal finance veteran, has joined PFM Group as a director opening an office in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Securities and Exchange Commission member Daniel Gallagher said Thursday that pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities need to be made more transparent for investors, and argued for a universal "disclosure baseline" that all cities should use.

Comptroller Scott Stringer named 27-year TIAA-CREF veteran Scott Evans chief investment officer for the $150 billion New York City pension funds.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its long-term rating and underlying rating on Oneonta Utilities Board, Ala.'s utility revenue debt one notch to AA-minus from A-plus.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $25 billion 91-day bills and $23 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.