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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Statewide ballot measures, including one before voters in this week's primary, would decrease or even eliminate certain property tax revenue for public schools.
August 25 -
Financing for a nearly $500 million long-term investment plan would include as much as $250 million of revenue bonds that could be sold next year.
August 21 -
The Oklahoma audit uncovered "complex financial schemes" allegedly by a former Tulsa Public Schools administrator that involved $3.73 million in bond proceeds.
August 20 -
Budgets for Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth come amid credit quality improvements and calls from Gov. Greg Abbott to rein in local government spending.
August 18 -
In a 5-6 vote, the city council rejected the mayor's proposal to place $489 million of revenue bonds for a professional basketball arena on the Nov. 3 ballot.
August 17 -
Box Elder School District's general obligation rating was cut to A1 from Aa2 ahead of a certificates of participation sale this week.
August 17 -
The report takes aim at public school budget balances and charter school funding, and suggests bond issuance to fund teacher compensation endowments.
August 14 -
The outlook revision to negative from stable for the system's revenue bond ratings was spurred by expense-increasing moves in the fiscal 2027 budget.
August 12 -
Revenue from the 0.4% tax would be earmarked for debt service and operating funding for a jail to replace the county's troubled detention facility.
August 12 -
The Texas city plans to bring general obligation bonds, certificates of obligation and tax notes to market later this month.
August 6 -
The Texas city's general obligation rating was lifted to Aa2 with a stable outlook from Aa3 based on "meaningful" moves taken in its fiscal 2027 budget.
August 5 -
The city moved to a less-restrictive Stage 2 drought status for water use in another sign after recent rain that a water supply emergency is no longer imminent.
August 4 -
The Texas city will offer $540.55 million of senior lien and $122.45 million of junior lien special tax revenue bonds to investors this week.
August 4 -
The Oklahoma Council of Bond Oversight approved up to $2.9 billion of bonds to continue financing of a turnpike expansion program and to refund outstanding debt.
July 30 -
Jefferson County School District R-1's lawsuit comes after the U.S. Department of Education threatened to withhold federal funding over transgender policies.
July 29 -
Beneficial rainfall allowed the Texas city to move its timeline for a projected water supply emergency to September 2028 from the same month in 2027.
July 28 -
School districts face competition from a state-funded voucher program and financial challenges that in some cases have led to negative rating actions.
July 28 -
Water infrastructure projects in the 2027 plan are aimed at accommodating projected population growth and addressing dwindling supplies.
July 24 -
The Texas city needs higher rates in part to support future debt that would be issued for $1.1 billion of water supply projects that are underway.
July 22 -
The Texas city's $943.9 million airport revenue bond issue will provide long-term financing for an expansion plan and refund some outstanding debt.
July 21
