Southwest

DALLAS — U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios used a visit on Friday to the site of Dallas’ new bond-financed convention center to highlight the benefits of Build America Bonds in stimulating the North Texas economy in 2009.

DALLAS — In the wake of a favorable Internal Revenue Service ruling in December, the Texas Board of Education last week began the process of reopening and possibly doubling the bond-backing capacity of the Permanent School Fund.

The Flagstaff City Council this week may consider a proposed agreement with developers of a resort complex that calls for the city to acquire part of the site after the project failed to make a debt-service payment in December.

DALLAS — As he begins his last full year as governor of Colorado, Bill Ritter is providing lawmakers a roadmap to close a $1 billion budget shortfall when they open their 2010 legislative session in Denver today.

DALLAS — Southwest Securities FSB, the commercial banking subsidiary of SWS Group Inc., has named Larry Kilgore as senior vice president and regional president of the firm’s downtown Fort Worth and Southlake, Tex., banking centers.

DALLAS — The Port of Houston Authority of Harris County will take advantage of its highly rated credit tomorrow by offering $327 million of refunding bonds, a deal that comes amid major expansion plans for one of the nation’s busiest cargo and petro-chemical facilities.

DALLAS — The Lower Colorado River Authority, one of the largest wholesale energy providers in Texas, aims to take advantage of favorable interest rates with a $426 million refunding deal this week.

DALLAS — The funding gap for the Denver area’s FasTracks transit plan has grown to $2.5 billion — a $300 million increase since 2009 — even though the construction cost estimate has fallen by nearly the same amount, according to the Regional Transportation District.

DALLAS — A joint Kansas legislative committee has passed along two versions of a plan for financing the state’s next 10-year transportation effort to the Legislature, which will begin its 2010 session on Monday.

DALLAS — The Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District between Dallas and Fort Worth is preparing to issue $102 million of refunding bonds without waiting for a triple-A guarantee from the Texas Permanent School Fund.