Fitch Ratings finds lower crude oil prices will impact U.S. cities differently, though Houston may be a standout in terms of financial risk. U.S. crude oil prices are down more than 50 percent from this time last year. An increase in oil production, largely from reserve areas like the Eagle Ford shale basin in Texas, has pushed markets toward the supply side. Fitch found that, since at least the early 1980s, local government finances have been linked strongly to energy prices. Using metrics like tax revenue and gross domestic product, the ratings agency found some Texas cities in particular were pressured by the weak crude oil market . For the state as a whole, tax collections for June were down 1.4 percent […]