Southwest

State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, said last week he expects a lawsuit over the Oklahoma Council of Bond Oversight’s decision to approve $26 million of state lease revenue bonds for a dam project in Tulsa.

More than 75% of Shawnee, Okla., voters last week rejected proposed increases in their property and sales taxes to support $50 million of bonds for civic projects.

The Wichita City Council last week designated a 400-acre site in east Wichita as a STAR bond district that can issue debt supported by revenues from the state’s 6.3% sales tax.

Voters in North Little Rock School District No. 1 last week approved a property tax increase to support up to $200 million of 31-year general obligation bonds.

DALLAS — Oklahoma sales tax revenue hit a historic peak in January, bringing in $165 million to the general fund.

DALLAS — Gov. Jan Brewer urged lawmakers to draft a bill to buy back the Arizona capitol for the state's 100th birthday, but the centennial passed on Tuesday with no sign that lawmakers were ready to pay off the $106 million debt.

AUSTIN — Texas public school districts will face financial stresses in educating Texans to the level needed to sustain economic development, according to education officials and financial professionals at The Bond Buyer’s 16th annual Texas Public Finance Conference.

Texas has emerged from the recession with its credit intact, but the state faces major adjustments to environmental patterns and demographics that are likely to affect long-term investors, experts told the Texas Public Finance Conference here Monday.

Texas cities will share $471.1 million of the more than $2 billion of state sales tax revenue that was collected in January.

The Rockwall, Texas, City Council last week set an election for May 12 on a $59 million, four-part general obligation bond program that includes a $25.1 million athletic complex.