Jim Watts

Travis County, Texas, voters should vote in November to raise the hospital district's property tax rate by 5 cents to support construction of a new medical school in Austin, state Sen. Kirk Watson said Monday.

A unanimous vote is unlikely as trustees of Houston Independent School District's vote on putting a $1.9 billion general obligation bond referendum to voters in November

Houston will spend $395,000 to audit city employee pension plans to get information that Mayor Annise Parker said is needed to protect taxpayers and public employees.

Oklahoma City collected $12 million from its 5.5% hotel tax in fiscal 2012, up almost 10% from fiscal 2011 and $668,000 more than expected when the budget was developed.

Arkansas general fund collections in July totaled $461.2 million, up $26.4 million from July 2011 and $15.7 million more than expected.

Tribal casinos in Arizona made a $25.1 million payment to the state in the second quarter of 2012, the Department of Gaming said last week.

Supporters of a plan to overturn Glendale's new 0.7% sales tax have appealed a court ruling that would keep the referendum off the November ballot.

Healthy gains in income tax and sales tax collections pushed Oklahoma's state tax collection in July above July 2011 revenues despite a 42% plummet in natural gas and crude oil production taxes. It was the eighth straight month of declining energy severance tax revenues, but the state's overall economic indicators are positive, said State Treasurer Ken Miller on Thursday. Revenues totaled $854.9 million in the first month of fiscal 2013.

The size of Dallas' November general obligation bond referendum will be $42 million more than expected due to increases in the city's property tax base.

Louisiana collected $721.9 million in state taxes in June, up from $695 million in May, according to the latest monthly report from the Department of Revenue.

Louisiana must move quickly to avoid damage to its Medicaid program resulting from a sooner-than-expected end to federal assistance, state Treasurer John Kennedy said last week in outlining a 14-step plan.

The Corpus Christ City Council gave tentative approval Tuesday to a $90.4 million general obligation bond package that will go to voters Nov. 6. The total includes $55 million of street projects.

Property values in Dallas County, Texas posted the first increase since 2008 last week as the Dallas County Central Appraisal District certified total values of $157.7 billion, up 1.4% or $2.2 billion from 2011.

Voters in Tyler Independent School District, Texas, could go to the polls in November to decide on a general obligation bond package.

Oklahoma House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, last week formed the House Tax Credit and Economic Incentive Oversight Committee to investigate the effectiveness of the state's economic tax credits and incentives.

An opinion poll conducted in mid-July found 49.5% of likely Arkansas voters oppose a plan to raise the sales tax to finance construction of a network of four-lane state highways.

State Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, last week asked the Arkansas State Police to investigate a failed petition drive that sought an increase in the state's production tax on natural gas.

Valley Metro will build an 11-mile extension of its light rail network from downtown Phoenix after last week's approval of the project by the Maricopa Association of Governments.

Kansas will save $5.4 million by using part of its $466 million surplus from fiscal 2012 to make early payments on $24.7 million of state debt, Gov. Sam Brownback said Wednesday.

The Corpus Christi City Council is considering a recommendation for a $55 million general obligation bond referendum in November that would focus on upgrades and maintenance of city streets.