Richard Williamson

As Houston's comptroller, Annise Parker supervised millions of dollars worth of bond deals over the past six years. Now, as mayor, she will broaden her oversight of the city, with plans to tighten the budget and wield greater control over the Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority that is expanding the city's light-rail system.

Federal Recovery Zone Economic Development bonds will save Metropolitan State College up to $20 million in interest cost on construction of a new academic building on the Denver campus, school officials said last week.

DALLAS — On the verge of its fifth special legislative session of the year to reduce an ongoing budget deficit, Arizona plans to issue lease-purchase bonds to buy state buildings next month to avoid issuing IOUs to state employees in February.

DALLAS — The Texas A&M University System has called off a plan to issue $106.7 million of revenue financing system refunding bonds, citing market conditions that precluded sufficient savings.

DALLAS — The North Tarrant Express, a $2 billion toll road project that represents one of the largest public-private partnerships in Texas, begins its financial history clinging to investment-grade ­ratings.

DALLAS — Austin may be moving toward a $600 million bond election as the City Council considers ways to build a light-rail system.

DALLAS — As the debut year for Build America Bonds nears its close, Denver Public Schools is joining other large issuers in the market this week with $225 million of the taxable debt, along with $24 million of tax-exempt refunding bonds.

DALLAS — Three large and growing school districts in Texas made significant leaps into the double-A leagues last week with Standard & Poor’s upgrades.

DALLAS — Two university systems based in Denton, Tex., will use more than $180 million of bond proceeds for new facilities, including a satellite campus in Dallas 35 miles to the south.

DALLAS — New economic reality may alter the current financial plan for the Denver area’s $6.2 billion FasTracks transportation project, a consultant’s report suggests.

DALLAS — A team of developers will receive the proceeds of $400 million of private-activity bonds this month to finance one of the most ambitious public-private toll operations in Texas: a $2 billion project known as the North Tarrant Express.

DALLAS — School districts in Texas are seeing some green shoots after weathering nearly an entire year without the state’s Permanent School Fund backing for their bonds.

DALLAS — For the first time in its history, Arizona is turning to outside lenders for up to $700 million to cover operating costs, Treasurer Dean Martin said yesterday.

DALLAS — For the fourth time this year, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is calling the Legislature back into special session to reduce the nearly $2 billion budget deficit.

DALLAS — Harris County, Tex., today will issue the first of three bond deals worth a combined $550 million.

DALLAS — Amid an ambitious expansion plan, the University of North Texas Board of Regents is preparing to issue $180 million of system revenue bonds for its Dallas campus and for a new football stadium at the main campus in Denton.

DALLAS — By a three-vote margin, the citizens of Andrews County, Tex., voted last May to finance a low-level radioactive waste dump with a $75 million bond issue, the first in the county’s history.

DALLAS — Texas will pump about $125 million of highly rated general obligation bonds into the market next week as the state pools funds for water development loans.

DALLAS — As the nation’s port business drifts at low tide, Corpus Christi, Tex., is preparing for better days with a $250 million mixed-use container terminal financed through a public-private partnership.

DALLAS — Local governments in Texas are keeping their belts tight as sales tax revenue continues to fall sharply.