Karen is a senior reporter covering the Southwest. She has covered the municipal bond market for more than 30 years at The Bond Buyer and Reuters. Prior to that she wrote about futures and options markets for magazines and was an award-winning reporter for a suburban Chicago newspaper chain.
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Hunt Memorial Hospital District's distressed finances led to downgrades to Ba3 by Moody's Ratings and B-plus by S&P Global Ratings, with both giving it a negative outlook.
By Karen PierogAugust 15 -
The ruling by a state judge comes in a lawsuit that pointed to unequal access by public school districts to local property taxes and bonds.
By Karen PierogAugust 14 -
The fiscal 2026 budget would increase police and fire funding by $63.1 million as the city works to comply with a voter-approved public safety spending mandate.
By Karen PierogAugust 12 -
A flow of public dollars to private schools has raised credit concerns about public schools and spurred litigation in Southwest states.
By Karen PierogAugust 12 -
The measure would lower the percentage increase in property tax revenue larger cities and counties can tap for operations without seeking voter approval.
By Karen PierogAugust 7 -
Officials are considering selling more voter-approved bonds for the stalled project, which could be jumpstarted with a phased-in construction approach.
By Karen PierogAugust 6 -
City council approval of a five-part bond proposition for the Nov. 4 ballot comes as Denver faces a two-year, $250 million budget shortfall.
By Karen PierogAugust 5 -
The state faces a $1.2 billion revenue hit in fiscal 2026 , as well as future spending pressures, from President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.
By Karen PierogAugust 5 -
Legislation that would put a tighter limit on property tax increases for larger cities and counties advanced out of a Senate committee on Friday.
By Karen PierogAugust 1 -
The city council signed off on an $810 million debt sale, while it considers asking voters for a property tax rate increase this year to address budget gaps.
By Karen PierogJuly 29