Municipal disclosure

Port Freeport's decision to go property tax-free resulted in a revenue bond rating downgrade from S&P and raised disclosure questions.

The legislature, which returns to respond to recent floods, could also take up bills to curb local property taxes, including bills aimed at bond issuance.

Questions over what to disclose in the bond document's risk section has concerned issuers for years, through issues like the pandemic to climate change, and now potential federal funding cuts.

The updated document also addresses disclosure relating to cybersecurity.

Some market participants said they were sad to see EMMA Labs go.

New guidelines require local governments to receive the state's comptroller's approval before issuing debt with variable interest rates, put options, or interest rate reset options.

The wait for finished audits dropped across municipal sectors from 2022 to 2023, a new report says, but the median time is still higher in the long run.

When Chicago barred media from its investor conference, it told journalists the policy aligned with peer municipalities' practices. The facts are less clear.

In the coming year, we'll find out if public pension disclosure and transparency have improved enough to protect municipal bond investors.

The non-profit climate advocacy organization called for better disclosure on climate risks and adaptation efforts as the prevalence of natural disasters grows.