Texas

DALLAS — Texas voters approved more than $1.4 billion in local school bond proposals on Saturday, while rejecting bond requests totaling more than $634 million.

DALLAS — The North Texas Tollway Authority plans to test the market’s appetite for a $400 million issue of its lowest-rated debt this week.

DALLAS — The fast-growing Northside Independent School District in San Antonio plans to devote a majority of the proceeds from a requested $535 million general obligation bond issue to projects at existing facilities for the first time in almost two decades.

DALLAS — As one of 35 states that tapped federal interest-free loans to cover unemployment benefits, Texas expects to issue about $2 billion of bonds to begin repaying them next year, officials said.

DALLAS — The Lower Colorado River Authority, a major public power wholesaler based in Austin, is preparing to issue $200 million of revenue bonds to refund commercial paper that financed expansion of the utility’s transmission system.

DALLAS — In an $84 million remarketing deal priced this week, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin sought to eliminate interest rate risk in favor of fixed-rate bonds, securities executives said.

DALLAS — Faced with the borrowing constraints that often hamper growth of charter schools, the Houston area’s Yes Prep Public Schools used a new type of bond financing that has never been done in Texas.

DALLAS — The capital program financed by $98.6 million of general obligation bonds being sought by the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District has been developed to help meet the South Texas district’s needs for the next decade.

Samco Capital Markets Inc. has added Dejuan Green as managing director to its Dallas office to concentrate on public finance in North Texas, the firm said.

The Pine Tree Independent School District in Texas hopes to issue $20 million of taxable general obligation bonds under the federal qualified school construction bond program if voters approve the proposal in May.

DALLAS — With the Texas Permanent School Fund back in action after a yearlong hiatus, legislators are considering extending the bond guarantee to charter schools for new facilities next year.

DALLAS — As other Texas cities struggle to finance light-rail lines, El Paso is planning a much less costly bus rapid-transit system with vehicles that look like rail cars but travel on dedicated paved pathways.

DALLAS — Texas is emerging from its worst recession in more than 30 years, earlier than other states, but lawmakers find themselves still struggling to recover from the effects as they seek to fill a budget hole that could grow to $15 billion.

Texas Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security, said last week that the state must find a way to finance highway projects, including an increase in the gasoline tax.

Build America Bonds arrived at a critical stage for the North Texas Tollway Authority as it was embarking on projects that would more than triple its debt load.

DALLAS — Faced with sharply falling revenue, Dallas Area Rapid Transit is considering delaying a key light-rail line to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, among other measures to reduce spending.

DALLAS — The North Texas ­Tollway Authority yesterday named its underwriting team for $900 million of bonds expected to be issued in the next 90 days, including a $500 million deal that will be the first of its kind in Texas.

DALLAS — The Alamo Heights Independent School District in Texas is asking voters in the to approve a $44 million bond package on May 8.

DALLAS — In its second large deal of the month, the ­University of Texas Board of Regents plans to take advantage of its triple-A ratings with a $373 million refunding issue scheduled to price today.

DALLAS — Amid growing pains in an economic downturn, Austin is considering a second convention hotel while laying the groundwork for a $100 million transportation bond issue.