Southwest

Texas' new leaders will have more money to work with as the 2015 Legislature begins work on the state's next budget. The higher official revenue projections come even as the slumping price of oil casts a shadow over the Lone Star State's economy.

Standard & Poor's has revised its outlook to stable from negative on Glendale, Ariz.'s BBB-plus credit general obligation rating as the Phoenix suburb prepares to issue $294 million of refunding bonds.

With the state House and Senate controlled by different parties, the Colorado General Assembly has begun the process of dividing up an estimated $1.05 billion of additional revenue for the next fiscal year.

The University of Colorado will bring $89.3 million of refunding bonds to market as opportunities for interest-rate savings continue.

Texas' new comptroller, Glenn Hegar, started his term on a positive note, reporting a 4.3% increase in sales tax revenue.

In the opening session of the Oklahoma Legislature, House Speaker Jeff Hickman calls for sacrifice from state employees and recipients of state services as revenue falls 4.1%.

Arkansas collected $482.8 million in tax revenue for the month of December, which was 2.3% higher than the same month last year and 4.2% above the forecast, officials said.

The San Antonio-based Frost Bank public finance team will expand into the Houston area with the hiring of former BOSC Inc. managing director Ryan O'Hara.

With more than 367 miles of coastline, Texas has 15 ports that annually handle more than 485 million tons of cargo, 1.2 million passengers, generate more than $5 billion annually in local and state tax revenue, and more than $9 billion in federal import tax revenue.

Tulsa Public Schools are planning to ask voters for one of the largest bond issues in Oklahoma history at $415 million.