Karen is a senior reporter covering the Southwest. She has covered the municipal bond market for more than 30 years at The Bond Buyer and Reuters. Prior to that she wrote about futures and options markets for magazines and was an award-winning reporter for a suburban Chicago newspaper chain.
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Recommendations from an actuary on the city's police and fire pensions come amid a rising unfunded liability and uncertainty over the use of pension bonds.
By Karen PierogNovember 20 -
The amount of unspent funding for state and local capital projects is at a historically high $5 billion as projects struggle with rising construction costs.
By Karen PierogNovember 16 -
The Metropolitan Airports Commission will sell about $125 million of bonds to complete its share of financing for the largest interior renovation of 61-year-old Terminal 1.
By Karen PierogNovember 15 -
Flush with bond authorization from the Nov. 7 election, officials are formulating issuance plans, while Colorado's governor called lawmakers back to session after a property tax cut measure was defeated by voters.
By Karen PierogNovember 13 -
A group of taxpayers argue that a property tax increase approved by Austin voters in 2020 for light rail cannot be used to support bonds.
By Karen PierogNovember 9 -
A subpoena sent to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission this week seeks communications related to 2021's Winter Storm Uri and nearly $3 billion of utility securitizations that priced in 2022.
By Karen PierogNovember 9 -
An increase in tax collections helped fuel the flow of billions of excess dollars into the state's previous budget, although growth in key sales tax revenue has slowed.
By Karen PierogNovember 7 -
Attorney General Ken Paxton put several big banks under a review last month, raising concerns more municipal bond underwriters could be driven out of the state.
By Karen PierogNovember 6 -
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing Monday will take up the university's winning bid for Mercy Hospital at last week's reopened auction.
By Karen PierogNovember 1 -
The rating agency cited ongoing positive financial and enplanement trends at the airport, which is planning a refunding.
By Karen PierogOctober 31