Southwest

Texas collected $1.87 billion of sales tax revenue in March, up almost 17% from collections in March 2011.

A preliminary Travis County state district court ruling on whether oil and gas drilling and production equipment is exempt from the Texas sales tax could cost the state millions of dollars a year in lost revenues and billions more in refunds.

Local governments in Wyandotte County, Kan., last week shared more than $843,000 from the first monthly distribution of revenues from a casino that opened in early February.

Trustees of Sedgwick County Unified School District 259 last week revived $8 million of bond projects at nine Kansas schools that had been postponed, but they are still looking for additional financing to build tornado safe rooms at district schools.

Kansas state revenue over the next two fiscal years should be $252.2 million more than had been expected, the Consensus Estimating Group said last week. The new outlook revises the official estimating group’s November 2011 report.

Phoenix’s newest five-year capital spending program calls for expenditures of $2.8 billion through 2017, down from $3.2 billion in the 2011-2016 span.

DALLAS — Houston voters should expect a general obligation bond election in November, Mayor Annise Parker said Thursday in her third state of the city address.

DALLAS — A $19 billion budget that cuts spending for prisons and provides $98.5 million of property tax relief for senior citizens goes to the Colorado Senate after winning approval in the House on Thursday.

DALLAS — The Dallas City Council approved up to $25.5 million of tax and revenue certificates of obligation Wednesday to finance improvements to the city-owned Cotton Bowl stadium in Fair Park.

Proponents of San Antonio's $596 million general obligation bond plan set for a May 12 election will rely on citizen "bond ambassadors" to get their message across to voters.