Arkansas

The University of Arkansas System last week asked for proposals for a design team and construction manager for three athletic facilities that will be financed in part with bond proceeds.

Pulaski County School District No. 1 will ask Arkansas officials to approve a $266 million facilities improvement plan financed primarily with $200 million of school construction bonds.

A proposed increase in the Arkansas severance tax on natural gas will not reduce energy activity in the state, proponents said last week.

The Little Rock, Ark., Board of Directors last week approved a series of four rate increases for the Little Rock Wastewater Utility through 2016 to finance construction of facilities needed to comply with a 2001 lawsuit settlement.

DALLAS — Arkansas could have a $100 million surplus at the end of fiscal 2012 if revenues continue at their current above-expectations pace, state finance director Richard Weiss said Monday.

North Little Rock, Ark., City Council last week approved a $60 million negotiated restructuring of the city’s electric system revenue bonds to avoid a large payment due in fiscal 2014.

A recent poll found a slim majority of Arkansas voters oppose a plan to raise the sales tax rate to finance a $1.8 billion highway construction program.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe last week certified the official revenue forecast for fiscal 2012 to provide an additional $39.4 million in collections for the year, which ends June 30.

Arkansas’ April revenues of $588.9 million were boosted by better than predicted collections from sales and income taxes.

Trustees of Pulaski Technical College voted last week to delay a property tax election until the measure can be the only tax item on the ballot.

The popular titles of two bond-related Arkansas constitutional amendments to be decided at November’s general election were approved last week by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.

Little Rock, Ark., hopes to build a new police headquarters with revenues from the 1% increase in the city’s sale tax rate that went into effect Jan. 1, 2012.

Arkansas general revenue collections totaled $508.3 million in March, up $24.5 million from March 2011 and $22.3 million more than expected and the highest ever recorded for the month.

The first monthly revenues from the 1% increase in Little Rock’s sales tax rate approved last year by voters totaled $3.4 million, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said last week.

DALLAS — Little Rock voters will be asked to extend an existing property tax to support $105 million of general obligation bonds for public works projects under a plan outlined Tuesday by Mayor Mark Stodola.

DALLAS — Arkansas will study a proposal to turn the Interstate highway from Little Rock to Memphis into a toll road after the General Assembly failed to repeal a sales tax exemption on large trucks and trailers.

Blytheville voters approved a 1% sales tax last week that will be dedicated to paying a $3.7 million tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service.

Voters in Pulaski County, Ark., will be asked July 10 to establish a taxing district to provide financing for Pulaski Technical College through a property tax levy.

DALLAS — Voters in Little Rock approved a renewal of a bond program Tuesday that will provide the Central Arkansas Library System with up to $24 million of new money for new and expanded facilities.

Arkansas’ net available state revenues in the first eight months of fiscal 2012 came to a total of $3 billion, an increase of $54.2 million from the same period of fiscal 2011 and $20.2 million more than expected.