Southwest

Colorado's Regional Transportation District will have about $896 million in unused debt authorization for its FasTracks transit program after this week's issue of $446.3 million, according to estimates.

After a ratings downgrade triggered by its commitment to the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes, Glendale, Ariz., is restructuring its debt for professional sports facilities with $230 million of taxable and tax-exempt revenue bonds.

El Paso City Council last week narrowly defeated, by 5-3, a plan to include on the May 2013 municipal election ballot a proposal to stop the demolition of El Paso City Hall to make way for a bond-financed minor league baseball stadium.

Oklahoma revenues in November failed to match last year’s totals as energy production tax collections remained anemic, Treasurer Ken Miller said.

The latest revenue projections for fiscal 2014 indicate New Mexico will have $283 million of new money that can be appropriated or expended for tax cuts by the 2013 Legislature.

Arkansas’ November revenues of $427.6 million were $15 million more than in November 2011 and $4 million more than expected, the Department of Finance and Administration said.

Local school districts would pay 15% of employee income into the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System under a legislative agenda approved last week by pension plan trustees.

Maricopa County Unified School District 97, Ariz., expects to issue up to $24 million of general obligation bonds by late January from a $148 million authorization approved by voters in 2008.

The New Mexico Finance Authority "over-emphasized and under-prioritized the importance of bond credit ratings," in a "culture of complacency" that led to a fraudulent audit, according to an investigative report from the New Mexico Securities Agency.

Large state pension plans in Texas are financially stable but local government retirement programs would benefit from more transparency, Comptroller Susan Combs said Tuesday.