Jim Watts

DALLAS — More students enrolled in Louisiana’s public schools and more state prisoners held in local jails are the two main factors in a potential fiscal 2010 budget shortfall of $145 million outlined Friday to lawmakers by Commissioner of Administration Angèle Davis.

The Tulsa County Independent School District No. 1 may ask voters next year to approve the largest school bond package in Oklahoma’s history, with a potential $354 million request.

A report last week to the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee said revenue for fiscal 2010 will be $10 million less than expected, with the outlook for revenue in fiscal 2011 reduced by $53 million.

A $50 million cut in highway maintenance work will mean higher costs down the road for motorists, Kansas Transportation Secretary Deb Miller said last week.

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration expects state revenue to grow by 2%, or almost $90 million, in fiscal 2011 and by 3.1% in fiscal 2012.

Pima County may purchase an aging hotel in downtown Tucson with proceeds from a 2004 bond issue for affordable housing to prevent developers from evicting low-income tenants.

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority last week said it would make fiscal 2010’s $16 million debt-service payment on the $275 million of revenue bonds it issued to finance the $455 million University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

DALLAS — Arizona has used an entire $700 million line of credit advanced two weeks ago by Bank of America, forcing the state to borrow $73 million from itself to make a scheduled payment of aid to local school districts.

Standard & Poor’s raised the ratings of the St. Charles Parish School Board and St. Charles Parish School District No. 1 as a result of continuing growth in the property tax base, strong sales tax collections, and healthy general fund balances.

DALLAS — Oklahoma County Independent School District No. 1 will exhaust a 2007 authorization and sell the first bonds from a successful November election with today’s competitive sale of $15.5 million of general obligation bonds.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs notified state leaders last week that the current two-year budget will be tighter than expected, with a smaller rainy-day fund than anticipated when the budget was approved this spring.

Trustees of Tulsa County Independent School District No. 3 have appointed a 10-person board to oversee projects that would be financed by $295 million of revenue bonds that are going before voters on Dec. 8.

Kansas budget director Duane Goossen told the House Appropriations Committee last week that the state’s tight budget situation is not likely to improve next year.

The Arkansas Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance said last week it would issue its first series of recommendations on how to finance city, county, and local roadwork in early 2010. Members said they will offer several options for consideration by the public.

Future ballot initiatives in Tucson would be required to identify a revenue source to cover their costs under a charter amendment being considered by the City Council.

DALLAS — Faced with an unprecedented decline in tax revenue, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson on Monday slashed almost $260 million from the state’s fiscal 2010 budget.

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry said last week that a special session of the Legislature may be needed in January to implement his budget-balancing plan, which calls for more reliable revenue estimates, public hearings on spending cuts, and use of the state’s $599 million rainy-day fund.

The Norman City Council is considering a special bond election in March that would provide $21.3 million for street repairs and an upgraded storm-warning system.

Sales tax collections in Tulsa County are down 10% for the first five months of fiscal 2010 from the same period in 2009.

A group of school districts that earlier this decade won a lawsuit forcing Kansas to boost spending on public education has delayed until December a decision on whether to file a new suit over the latest cuts in state aid to local districts.