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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A negative outlook for the city's AA rating by Fitch Ratings follows similar action taken by S&P Global Ratings in July.
September 16 -
The Payson Town Council's passage last month of a bond resolution using an emergency clause violated the Arizona Constitution, according to a lawsuit.
September 13 -
The passage of a $11 billion plan, which aims to fully fund police and fire pensions in 30 years, comes as the retirement system is pushing its own plan in court.
September 12 -
Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital plans to sell about $222 million of tax-exempt, fixed-rate revenue bonds this week.
September 10 -
Stagnant per-pupil state funding amid rising costs led to budget deficits, lower reserves, and ballot proposals to raise property tax rates for some districts.
September 10 -
General fund revenue growth of only 1.1% in the fiscal year that ended Saturday, marks a continued slowdown since fiscal 2022's 26.4% increase.
September 4 -
The one-notch general obligation and certificates of participation rating downgrades resulted from the application of Fitch's updated criteria.
September 3 -
The Dallas-Fort Worth region toll highway owner and operator aims to rake in savings from the deal as it expects to cash fund a $2 billion capital plan.
September 3 -
The lawsuit contends a state law that punishes banks and others for "boycotting" the fossil fuel industry violates free speech provisions in the U.S. Constitution.
August 29 -
Initiatives planned for the Nov. 5 ballot raised concerns in the state's municipal bond market over higher borrowing costs and litigation.
August 29 -
Property taxpayers want a state court to order the city to reduce its 2024 tax levy by $187 million earmarked for a now-downsized mass transit plan.
August 27 -
While the nonprofit hospital sector shows signs of stabilizing, Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital faces fiscal problems that led to two rating downgrades.
August 27 -
Up to $2.065 billion of taxable notes could be issued to finance termination of a public-private partnership that built a toll lane project in Harris County.
August 23 -
The rating agency estimated the cost of college and university capital needs at $750 billion to $950 billion over the next decade.
August 21 -
Clyde, Texas, missed payments on certificates of participation due Aug. 1, the same day it declared a water emergency. Bond insurers are paying the holders.
August 20 -
The estimated $100 million raised annually from the 0.5% tax increase on the Nov. 5 ballot could be used to back bonds for affordable housing.
August 20 -
Issuers in the eight-state region sold $50.6 billion of bonds with Texas accounting for 65% of the volume.
August 20 -
State lawmakers will be back in session Aug. 26 in an effort to head off ballot initiatives that worry the state's public finance industry.
August 16 -
Eduardo Ramos had faced insurance fraud charges that were unrelated to his work at the school district.
August 16 -
Salt Lake City School District is seeking $730 million of bonds and Salt Lake County is asking for $507 million of bonds at the Nov. 5 general election.
August 15
