Municipal disclosure

An audience poll during the National Association of Bond Lawyers' Workshop indicated that offering and disclosure fraud were among the highest concerns for the muni market.

Legislation requiring standardized financial disclosure from issuers is attached to a must-pass defense bill, which narrows the window to fight the measure.

The muni market is watching the fiscal 2023 defense bill closely to see if a final version requires issuers to overhaul their financial disclosure practices.

Opponents say the legislation could prompt issuers to drop out of the public bond market while supporters say investors and regulators deserve standardized financials.

Ben Watkins, Director of the State of Florida's Bond Division, talks with Chip Barnett about the latest news coming out of the Sunshine State and takes a look at what's happening in Reedy Creek. He discusses Florida's bonding and debt, infrastructure plans and dives into the state's ESG priorities. (30 minutes)

The University of Michigan is studying the use of XBRL technology for local government financial reports with the state Department of Treasury set to act next.

A group of 20 muni bond investment firms have asked U.S. cities to disclose their environmental-related needs and risks, including infrastructure projects, to CDP, a global disclosure firm.

The three public finance professionals added to BondLink’s issuer relations team are part of the company’s ongoing initiative to help its network navigate a turbulent market.

Mary Colby, who retires from Charles Schwab Investment Management after 30 years in the muni industry, fought for more extensive disclosure for investors.

Disclosure around ESG-related risk factors to credit as well as for ESG-labeled bonds remains a mixed landscape that reflects the heterogenous nature of the muni market itself.

From disclosure to issuance labels, the Chicago finance team is shaping ESG practices that are top of mind for municipal market.

The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District in Erie County, New York will pay $17.5 million to 35 victims who sought compensation under the state’s Child Victims Act.

Issuers need to be careful with bonds specifically marketed as green, said the head of Office of Municipal Securities.

Technology enables us to be better, smarter, and faster and allows its adopters to focus on more substantive tasks, unearth insightful information and manage human relationships.  

The new relationship allows RIAs to access BondLink's hosted investor relations pages without having to leave InspereX's BondNav platform.

The infrastructure package features $5.4 billion to fight wildfires. Issuers like California's Yuba Water Agency say the money is a game changer. 

Audit times for municipal bond issuers are on the rise, with the median reaching 164 days in 2020 compared with 147 in 2009.

This is the second time S&P Global Ratings placed New Orleans on negative CreditWatch due to long delays in publishing audited financial statements.

Through BondLink’s new ESG solution, the system provides investors with updates on an ongoing basis — not just at the time of sale — about the projects selected, their progress and any potential impacts.

The MSRB’s annual fact book, released on Wednesday, shows that par amount trading volume was down 28% in 2021 when compared with 2020.