Southwest

CHICAGO — A Kansas City, Mo., task force picked Piper Jaffray & Co. over three other finalists to help develop a financing plan as the city weighs whether to pursue construction of a $300 million hotel to support its downtown convention center.

DALLAS — The Alamo Heights Independent School District in Texas is asking voters in the to approve a $44 million bond package on May 8.

DALLAS — In its second large deal of the month, the ­University of Texas Board of Regents plans to take advantage of its triple-A ratings with a $373 million refunding issue scheduled to price today.

DALLAS — Amid growing pains in an economic downturn, Austin is considering a second convention hotel while laying the groundwork for a $100 million transportation bond issue.

DALLAS — As a young agency with a senior debt rating at the lowest rung of investment grade, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority needed an innovative approach to finance its latest project known as the 183A Toll Road Extension.

DALLAS — Colorado voters could slam the door on public borrowing when they go to the polls in November, a possibility that has the bond community and government officials preparing for a worst-case scenario.

DALLAS — Arizona’s drastic $1.1 billion of budget cuts approved last week could grow by nearly $1 billion if voters do not approve a temporary sales tax increase in May and refuse to repeal ballot initiatives from previous years.

DALLAS — Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority said it plans to issue $2.6 billion of bonds to finance five new light-rail lines, even though voters only authorized a quarter of that amount.

DALLAS — Oklahoma tax revenue in February exceeded the official forecast for the first time since December 2008, with better-than-expected collections from personal income and energy production taxes.

DALLAS — After years of battling opposition to a $1.8 billion toll road proposal on the Trinity River near downtown, ­Dallas is facing another financial challenge to the star-crossed project.