Jim Watts

The San Antonio Independent School District will ask voters in November to approve its largest bond proposal, $515 million to upgrade facilities and technology.

Texas sales tax collections in July totaled $1.7 billion, up 2.2% from July 2009, with increases posted by the retail, construction, and oil and gas sectors.

Oklahoma tax revenues outpaced expectations in the first month of fiscal 2011, with $370.1 million in collections. The total is almost 10% better than July 2009 and almost 12% above the official state budget estimate.

The Oklahoma Transportation Commission last week approved the sale of $215 million of bonds to finance the next phase of the state's eight-year highway plan. The blueprint, which includes almost $4.3 billion of road and bridge work through 2018, is updated annually.

The New Mexico State Board of Finance has approved an across-the-board 3.2% budget cut for state agencies proposed by Gov. Bill Richardson to help alleviate a $200 million revenue shortfall in fiscal 2011.

U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, the Republican candidate for governor of Kansas, has proposed a spending freeze for state government.

Voters in Saline County last week overwhelmingly defeated a proposal for a 1% sales tax to support $55 million of bonds for a new county fair complex.

The Kansas Department of Transportation will begin a $1.7 billion bond financing for the state's new transportation plan with today's negotiated sale of $325 million of taxable Build America Bonds.

DALLAS — Louisiana is taking $403.5 million of gasoline and fuel-tax bonds to market next week as tax-exempt debt, rather than Build America Bonds, in response to investor demand.

The money spent to clean up the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico will help ease the financial impact caused by the spill itself, asserts a new report from Moody’s Investor Service.

DALLAS — The Louisiana Community and Technical College System will continue its capital improvements effort at its campuses across the state with proceeds from the negotiated sale of $68.7 million of revenue bonds on Aug. 23.

DALLAS — Expansion of the bank-qualified bond criteria designed to spur borrowing by small local governments seems to have been effective.

The Judson Independent School District in Bexar County is considering a bond package of $198 million to build a new high school and two new elementary schools.

Trustees of the Eanes Independent School District in western Travis County voted last week to ask voters to approve a $150 million general obligation bond package on Nov. 2.

A proposed constitutional amendment on the state ballot in November that would raise spending for public education could cost up to $1.7 billion over three years, according to a new report from the bipartisan Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Supporters of an increase of the sales tax in Jefferson County and Pine Bluff have put off a proposed election on the move until next year.

Arkansas general revenue collections of $425.8 million were almost 3% above expectations in July and 5% higher than in July 2009.

The board overseeing Chandler’s municipal parks last week unanimously endorsed submission of a letter to the City Council protesting what the board sees as draconian budget cuts for the parks department.

DALLAS — Austin voters will decide in November on $90 million of general obligation bonds devoted to transportation efforts following unanimous action by the City Council.

DALLAS — The Austin Independent School District will current refund its outstanding commercial paper notes with proceeds from Tuesday’s negotiated $75.8 million bond sale.