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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Aleon Metals, along with its subsidiaries, which sold more than $300 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds since 2019, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcies in August.
September 2 -
Data center projects, which are proliferating across the country, are taking advantage of tax breaks that can be costly for states and local governments.
September 2 -
The state will tap reserve funds, close tax loopholes and cut spending to address a more than $1 billion shortfall in its fiscal 2026 budget.
August 29 -
In a 2-1 vote, county commissioners approved an Oct. 8 competitive general obligation bond sale to keep funding a jail project amid escalating costs.
August 27 -
Big changes made by the House to a high-priority bill targeting cities and counties were rejected by the Senate, sending the measure to a conference committee.
August 27 -
Legislation passed in Texas and other Southwest states this year seeks to increase or explore funding sources to finance water supply and infrastructure.
August 26 -
A state lawmaker is asking the court to invalidate a 2022 nearly $700 million bond sale due to inadequate audits by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
August 22 -
The proposed $1.3 billion arena would be financed with city revenue bonds, along with county taxes, subject to voter approval, and a team contribution.
August 21 -
Hinojosa has built a strong reputation for creative solutions to complex challenges in the public finance arena, according to a statement nominating him for the honor.
August 20 -
A lawsuit seeks to force the Texas city to reword its Nov. 4 property tax rate hike proposition to correct "misleading" language.
August 19 -
Bond sales in the eight-state region totaled $54.9 billion, trailing the nation with an 8.1% gain year-over-year as Texas issuance slipped 7.6%.
August 19 -
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.
August 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.
August 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.
August 12 -
A flow of public dollars to private schools has raised credit concerns about public schools and spurred litigation in Southwest states.
August 12 -
The measure would lower the percentage increase in property tax revenue larger cities and counties can tap for operations without seeking voter approval.
August 7 -
Officials are considering selling more voter-approved bonds for the stalled project, which could be jumpstarted with a phased-in construction approach.
August 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.
August 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.
August 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.
August 1
