Southwest

The Sherman Independent School District's board of trustees held a special meeting Monday night at which the group approved a $1.44 per $100 valuation property tax rate for the year and got its first look at the $170-million-plus bond packages developed by the Citizens Advisory Committee.

Houston's $495 million bond package will fund library repairs, park upgrades and new police and fire vehicles.

Port Houston has lost one of its three triple-A ratings due to legal and technical issues, but business prospects remain strong, port officials say.

The $141.2 million Victoria school district bond proposal allocates funds for unnecessary projects such as a walking trail and Wi-Fi at a multi-activity complex, members of a new group said Sunday.

The city of Mineral Wells now has a plan for its bond program, one that will give voters two opportunities to decide the projects they would like to see completed.

Councilman J.Ross Lacy will present a smaller road bond plan to the Midland City Council Tuesday.

Texas enjoyed another strong month of growth in sales tax revenue in July, with the $2.56 billion total running 7.9% ahead of the same month last year.

After recovering from severe drought and raising rates, debt levels may rise for Texas water utilities, while their credit should remain stable, according to Fitch Ratings.

Houston City Council approved a capital projects plan Wednesday that envisions a November bond election to help support billions of dollars in improvements over the next five years.

The Austin school board in November will place before voters a single $1.1 billion bond proposition, a departure from previous bond elections when the district tried to hedge its bets.