Aa2 RATINGS AFFIRMED ON $2.8 BILLION OF OUTSTANDING G.O. BONDS AND Aa3 RATINGS ON $245 MILLION CERTIFICATES OF PARTICIPATION
New York, September 20, 2011 -- Moody's Rating
Issue: Fiscal Year 2012 General Obligation Tax Revenue Anticipation
Notes; Rating: MIG 1; Sale Amount: $820,000,000;
Expected Sale Date: 09/27/2011; Rating Description: Tax
Revenue Anticipation Notes
Opinion
Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the Aa2 rating assigned to the
District of Columbia's general obligation bonds and revised the outlook
to negative from stable. Concurrently, we have assigned a
MIG 1 rating to the District's $820 million of Fiscal Year 2012
General Obligation Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes, affirmed the
Aa2 ratings assigned to $2.8 billion of outstanding general
obligation bonds and affirmed the Aa3 ratings assigned to $245
million of certificates of participation. Proceeds of the full
faith and credit notes, scheduled to price on September 27,
will be used to fund seasonal cash imbalances in the District's operating
accounts during fiscal year 2012, which starts October 1.
SUMMARY RATING RATIONALE
The outlook revision reflects the District's unique exposure, as
the nation's capital, to federal government downsizing and the risk
that such a downsizing could have on the finances of the District.
The Aa2 general obligation rating reflects in part the District's strong
institutionalized financial management and its core base of federal employment,
which has had a countercyclical affect on its economy through the recent
downturn and has benefitted the District's financial position.
Going forward, efforts to reduce the federal deficit, including
federal workforce reductions and entitlement cuts, could have an
outsize impact on the District and its finances. The outlook for
the District's income tax secured bonds (rated Aa1) remains stable.
The MIG 1 note rating reflects an adequate projected ending cash balance,
sound structural legal features that govern timely repayment of the notes,
and the District's general obligation credit quality.
STRENGTHS
Historical stability of the local economy, reflecting the core base
of federal employment
Strong institutionalized fiscal management features, including independent
chief financial officer, five-year financial planning process,
self-imposed debt cap, mandated reserves and congressional
budget oversight, and dormant "control authority" provisions of
federal law
Fully funded pensions and low retiree health care costs
CHALLENGES
Future federal downsizing could have an outsize impact on the District
economy and its finances
High government service burden as the District performs the functions
of a city, county, school district and state
High unemployment and poverty rates relative to the nation
Constrained ability to access its tax base, due to large proportion
of federal and other tax-exempt property, and congressional
prohibition on taxing incomes of non-resident commuters
OUTLOOK
The outlook for the District of Columbia's general obligation bonds is
negative. We expect that efforts to reduce the federal deficit,
including federal workforce reductions and entitlement cuts, could
have an outsize impact on the District and its finances.
WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO UP
Rebuilding and maintenance of healthy fund balances
Substantial improvement in the local economy, including more robust
population growth, increased resident employment and lower poverty
levels
The ability to access currently off-limits portions of the tax
base, such as taxing commuter incomes
WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO DOWN
Federal downsizing that has a negative impact on the District's economy
and finances, including reductions in the federal workforce or entitlement
cuts
Erosion of the district's strong financial management practices,
particularly leading to budget imbalance or draw downs of fund balance
below adequate levels
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was Short-Term Cash
Flow Notes published in May 2007. Please see the Credit Policy
page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the
support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive
rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt,
in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed
prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would
have affected the rating. For further information please see the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
Information sources used to prepare the rating are the following:
parties involved in the ratings, public information and confidential
and proprietary Moody's Analytics information.
Moody's considers the quality of information available on the rated entity,
obligation or credit satisfactory for the purposes of issuing a rating.
Moody's adopts all necessary measures so that the information it uses
in assigning a rating is of sufficient quality and from sources Moody's
considers to be reliable including, when appropriate, independent
third-party sources. However, Moody's is not an auditor
and cannot in every instance independently verify or validate information
received in the rating process.
Please see Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions on the Rating Process
page on www.moodys.com for further information on the meaning
of each rating category and the definition of default and recovery.
Please see ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for the last rating action and the rating history.
The date on which some ratings were first released goes back to a time
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Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Nicholas Samuels
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Public Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Nicole Johnson
Senior Vice President
Public Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
MOODY'S REVISES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA G.O. RATING OUTLOOK TO NEGATIVE FROM STABLE; ASSIGNS MIG 1 RATING TO $820 MILLION OF TAX REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES