Richard Williamson

DALLAS — Denver’s Regional Transportation District is considering asking voters for a 0.4% sales tax increase this year or next to complete the $6.7 billion FasTracks project currently under construction.

DALLAS — Newly inaugurated ­Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper issued three executive orders designed to ­improve the economy Tuesday as the evenly ­divided General Assembly prepared to open its 2011 legislative session.

DALLAS — Texas lawmakers will open their 2011 legislative session Tuesday with a projected budget gap of $27 billion under the revenue estimates from Comptroller Susan Combs.

DALLAS — The Austin Community College District will trim plans for its expansion into Hays County after losing a chance to issue Build America Bonds, officials said.

DALLAS — Arizona’s current deficit is $2.1 billion, nearly triple the $825 million cited by the Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer, according to a new study released Wednesday.

DALLAS — Texas higher education institutions could issue up to $3.2 billion in tuition-backed revenue bonds under a bill introduced for the legislative session that begins next week.

The North Texas Tollway Authority’s debt service will increase by 22.3% to $204.5 million under the fiscal 2011 budget adopted in late December. Estimated 2011 total bond debt-service coverage is 1.85 times for first tier debt and 1.44 times coverage overall.

Fitch Ratings last week affirmed its underlying A-plus rating on $99.5 million of Albuquerque’s outstanding senior-lien airport revenue bonds and the underlying A-rating on $38.5 million of outstanding subordinate-lien revenue bonds. Both ratings on the Sunport facility have stable outlooks.

The Colorado Department of Transportation will set aside $21 million for mass transit under its Faster program, or Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery, officials said.

The E-470 Public Highway Authority that operates a 47-mile toll road east of Denver announced a series of promotions in top management last week.

Northern Arizona University expects this month to pay off $21 million of debt from a 2002-03 bond issue for academic projects, easing debt service over the next 10 years and increasing its ability to borrow, vice president Jennus Burton said.

Two years after Hurricane Ike devastated the tourism-oriented island of Galveston, the Texas city of the same name is making a steady comeback, despite the added burden of a deep recession. The city's improving fortunes are reflected in last week's Standard & Poor's upgrade to A with a positive outlook from BBB with a stable outlook on its general obligation debt.

The Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority last week reached a settlement with CAF USA Inc., over two disputed contracts for the construction of light-rail cars for its North and Southeast Corridor lines.

DALLAS — The Dallas suburb of ­Irving could issue up to $250 million of bonds for a new entertainment center within two months if a judge’s ruling stands, Mayor Herbert Gears said.

Colorado property values fell 5.3% in 2010 and are expected to fall another 6.9% in 2011, according to the December economic forecast from the nonpartisan Legislative Council.

With the year-end deadline approaching, Houston this week will refund $94 million of private-activity bonds for its airport system with variable-rate debt to gain exemption from federal alternative-minimum tax provisions.

DALLAS — When the Texas Legislature convenes in January, the top priority is expected to be the estimated $25 billion budget shortfall and ongoing problems with education funding.

Glendale, Ariz., will issue up to $125 million of excise tax revenue bonds under a lease agreement designed to keep the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team playing in the city-owned Jobing.com arena.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is restructuring its management in the wake of a funding controversy involving light-rail expansion in the Houston area.

DALLAS — Just seven weeks after voters approved a record $515 million bond package, the San Antonio Independent School District is ready to price the first $150 million Tuesday.