MuniNet Guide Archive
MuniNet Medley: 1/12/12 – MSRB Outreach, Inflation Indictors, Housing Wealth and College, Foreclosure Trends
Municipal bond market professionals and investors: take note as you put together your 2012 calendar. The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) may soon be holding education and outreach events in a city near you ... beginning with a seminar in...
Austin’s Municipal Website Redesign Surpasses “Impressive”
Austin’s recently redesigned website, even in beta form, is state-of-the-art, and should be noted by any municipality considering an upgrade of its website.
MuniNet Medley: 1/5/12 – Golden Gate Bridge, Chicago Shovels, Job Concerns, East Orange Recovery
... Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began 79 years ago today - on January 5, 1933 - with the bridge opening to traffic on May 28, 1937. If it were to be built today, construction would cost approximately $1.2 billion dollars (in 2003 dollars), according to the...
Unemployment Rates Drop in Majority of Metro Areas
Unemployment rates were lower in 351 of the 372 metropolitan areas in November 2011 compared to a year earlier, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today. Unemployment rates were higher in 16 metro areas, and unchanged in five. The...
Why Municipal Bonds Should Remain Tax-Exempt
In response to proposed legislation that would repeal the tax exemption of municipal bonds, Bernardi Securities, Inc. recently published a study on the potential ramifications of this action. The Bernardi report, entitled Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds: The...
MuniNet Medley: 12/28/11 – Demographic Trends, Municipal Pensions, and Rolling the Dice in Detroit
“Thank you!” ... “We love it!” ... and “How did you know that’s what we wanted?” ... that’s our response to the U.S. Census Bureau’s new home page, unveiled as a perfect holiday gift to us demographic aficionados!...
MuniNet Medley: 12/20/11 – Harrisburg Receiver’s Website, Less Transparency in NJ, “Giving and Getting” in NY, TX Weather
Harrisburg receiver launches website ….. Too much transparency in New Jersey? ….. Upstate vs. Downstate New York revenues/expenses ….. Texas weather woes
Cities Find Innovative Ways to Address to Hunger, Homelessness
The economic downturn has exacerbated a growing, two-pronged problem in U.S. cities: hunger and homelessness. According to a report recently released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, increasing demand and decreasing resources are posing the biggest challenge in...
The Road to Infrastructure Improvement Is Paved with Public Support
Increased fuel efficiency over the past few decades is inarguably good for the environment, consumers, and businesses. It’s hard to find a downside to cleaner air and cost savings. However, along with these benefits, increased fuel efficiency has created a challenge...
MuniNet Medley: 12/13/11 – Bond Buyer’s Deal of Year, Top Winter Cities, San Francisco Minimum Wage, Electricity Costs
Massachusetts Bridge Wins Bond Buyer Deal of Year, Top Winter Cities, San Francisco Minimum Wage, Cost of Electricity
Innovation Drives Results in Downers Grove, Illinois
The lights are on - in more ways than one - in Downers Grove, Illinois, a suburb located approximately 20 miles west of Chicago. In 2010, Downers Grove became the first city in the nation to install a hybrid solar and wind powered street light system in one of...
In the U.S., Biggest States Are Hot, While Biggest Cities Are Not
As the trend in U.S. politics will be to recognize the huge population growth of the nations’ very largest states, the reverse is true for our largest cities. In American culture, living in large cities is not a life style preference. In fact, the most recent census...
MuniNet Medley: 12/7/11 – GASB, Scarsdale, Marlins Stadium, Florida Hospital Districts
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is seeking public comment on a new proposal that state and local governments provide five-year projections of their cash flows and financial obligations as supplemental information to their financial statements. ...
Detroit’s Troubled Finances Prompt State Review
State begins review of Detroit’s finances, while the Mayor wants to avoid the appointment of an emergency financial manager
MuniNet Medley: 12/2/11 – Harrisburg, Chandler, Fringe Suburbs, California CAFRs
Coverage of Harrisburg’s (attempted but rejected) bankruptcy filing is going anywhere but away ... A recent Bloomberg article reports that a proposed receiver for Harrisburg described the structure of the incinerator bonds as “disturbing.” David Unkovic, chief lawyer...
Growth in “65 and Older” Crowd Outpaces Other Segments of U.S. Population
A new 2010 Census Brief says population in the 65-plus age group increased more than than total population over the past decade
City Fiscal Conditions Report May Reflect a “New Normal”
Cities continue to grapple with new ways to face fiscal challenges
Newark’s Economic Revival – Interview with Lyneir Richardson, CEO, Brick City Development
After years of disinvestment and deterioration, Newark is rebuilding its economy – and it’s coming back stronger than ever.
MuniNet Medley: Timely Points of Interest from the Editor’s Desk
Chicago passes budget, EMMA adds credit ratings, Detroit looks at charter school options, Lodi keeps city control of water plant, New York business trends, Small Business Saturday
Big City Benefits
Size is an often overlooked factor in evaluating cities from a municipal credit standpoint, but urban economics studies have shown unambiguous results: bigger is better. “Larger cities tend to boast higher levels of productivity and efficiency, according to...
Jefferson County Bankruptcy Resource Guide
Jefferson County, Alabama’s financial woes thrust the county into national headlines last week. On November 9, the County officially filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, marking the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy in history. As such - and perhaps because it...
MSRB Toolkit Aims to Educate Municipal Bond Issuers
The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) has launched a new online toolkit designed to educate municipal bond issuers, and position them to make more informed decisions. The MSRB State and Local Government Toolkit, which will be introduced in phases, is...
MuniNet Guide Top Picks – Demographics
As the real-time population clock on the U.S. Census Bureau home page illustrates, demographics change by the minute. Behind the dynamic facts and figures are people - people who are being born, aging, dying, marrying, divorcing, immigrating, moving, working, earning,...
Report Aims to Level Playing Field for Charter School Financings
True or false: A charter school is a private school. If you answered “true,” you would be incorrect. However, the notion that charter schools are private schools is a common misconception. Charter schools have been affirmed as public entities by state law and court...
Communities Awarded for Effective Youth Programs and Services
What do Anchorage, Alaska; Chandler, Arizona; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma have in common? These three cities are among the 22 communities that have been named to the America’s Promise Alliance list of 100 Best Communities for Young People in each of the past five...