Public pensions

Securitization or pension obligation bonds are options for the city.

The board has identified more than 110 out of 490 local units of government as having an underfunded pension plan or retirement health care plan — or both.

New Jersey’s shift toward giving firefighters and police officers control of their pension fund decisions may hamstring future efforts to control benefit costs, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

The pension funding problems reflect several decades of underpayments, said Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, who chairs a commission formed to tackle the problem.

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp said the project will lead to an additional $615 million in direct revenues for the government over the next 10 fiscal years.

The Public Employee Pension Transparency Act (HR 6290) would prohibit states and localities from issuing tax-exempt bonds unless they file annual reports on their public pension systems to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Vicki Fuller is retiring after six years as the state pension fund’s chief investment officer.

The fund returned 8.03% in FY18, ahead of its 7% annual target and ahead of its own benchmark, which returned 7.59%.

The University of Illinois at Chicago has launched the Government Finance Research Center.

The Harvey City Council will consider an agreement that allows it to keep some state funds being claimed by its pension funds.

James Spiotto warns that communities with pension problems face potential population loss if they raise taxes too high and are not able to maintain public service levels.

States and localities can’t continue to postpone resolving their pension problems or they will crowd out essential services and infrastructure and lose population, Chapman Strategic Advisors managing director James Spiotto says in a paper to be delivered in Washington on Tuesday.

Dallas will issue $235 million of bonds to settle lawsuits about officers' back pay.

Chicago's 2017 CAFR offers deep dive into Chicago's fiscal gains and deeper strains.

Moody's has cut the ratings of 31 Illinois municipalities due in part to pension strains over the last 18 months.

Most of the state's largest cities are making strides in trimming their OPEB liablities, a study says.

Fitch Ratings says the application of its new rating criteria is not expected to result in widespread downgrades.

Johara Farhadieh will maintain her responsibilities as CIO as she takes up the executive director role.

New Jersey’s police officers and firefighters received control over their pension management decisions.

Better management may not be enough for Hartford and other Connecticut cities, says the Manhattan Institute.