Jim Watts

Oklahoma County commissioners postponed a proposed March bond election for a new jail to avoid conflicts with municipal and school board elections.

Douglas County USD 497 in Lawrence will decide in April on a $92.5 million GO bond issue to upgrade 14 elementary schools and two high schools.

An unexpected 18% jump in income tax collections boosted Arkansas December revenues to $38 million more than December 2011 and $17.5 million above expectations.

DALLAS – Weakening state revenue growth indicates a slackened pace for Oklahoma's economic recovery in 2012, State Treasurer Ken Miller said.

The structure of Louisiana's tax code results in lower state revenue collections whenever federal taxes go up, the state's top economists said last week.

Oklahoma lawmakers can appropriate up to $7 billion in FY 2014 under a revised revenue outlook adopted Dec. 20, almost $215 million more than in FY 2013.

State Bond Commission approved a $430 million fixed-rate negotiated refunding set for mid-January by the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District.

The El Paso City Council created a development district that will issue $50.4 million of bonds in early 2013 for construction of a minor league baseball stadium in downtown.

The State Bond Commission considers a plan Thursday by Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District for a $430 million refunding in 2013.

Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered $166 million of cuts in the state's $25 billion budget for FY2013 last week after the revenue outlook fell by $129 million and by $207 million in FY2014.

The Oklahoma Legislature will be asked to authorize $42.5 million of state bonds to build a proposed popular culture museum in Tulsa.

The Texas State Comptroller’s Office has approved a payment of $29.3 million from the Major Events Trust Fund to organizers of November’s Formula One car race near Austin.

Tulsa County Independent School District No. 1 may ask voters for a general obligation bond authorization that would focus on education technology.

The University of Kansas will ask the 2013 Legislature for $30 million of 10-year bonds to help build a $75 million facility in Kansas City.

Legislative changes in the Arkansas tax code on how school taxes are collected and distributed could allow moving excess collections from property-rich school districts to less-wealthy ones.

The Phoenix City Council adopted a one-year tax on local hospitals to generate up to $130 million a year as matching funds for federal healthcare.

Texas sales tax collections in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 were up 11% from the same period of fiscal 2012.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will ask the 2013 Legislature to extend a state sales tax increase to partly pay for income tax cuts.

Public-private partnerships will take over operations in 2013 at three Louisiana State University hospitals and another one under construction.

El Paso City Council last week narrowly defeated, by 5-3, a plan to include on the May 2013 municipal election ballot a proposal to stop the demolition of El Paso City Hall to make way for a bond-financed minor league baseball stadium.