Affirms Aa3 rating affecting $25.2 million of outstanding GO bonds, including the current issue
New York, October 05, 2012 -- Moody's Rating
Issue: Water/Sewer Utility Bonds, Series 2012; Rating:
Aa3; Sale Amount: $2,662,000; Expected
Sale Date: 10-16-2012; Rating Description:
General Obligation
Issue: General Improvement Bonds, Series 2012; Rating:
Aa3; Sale Amount: $5,637,000; Expected
Sale Date: 10-16-2012; Rating Description:
General Obligation
Opinion
Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Aa3 rating to the Borough of
Red Bank's (NJ) $8.3 million General Obligation Bonds,
Series 2012, consisting of $5.64 million General Improvement
Bonds and $2.66 million Water/Sewer Utility Bonds.
Concurrently, Moody's has revised the borough's outlook
to stable from negative and affirmed the Aa3 rating on $25.2
million of outstanding long-term unlimited general obligation bonds,
including the current issue. Proceeds from these bonds will permanently
finance outstanding Bond Anticipation Notes originally issued for water
and general improvements. The bonds are secured by the borough's
unlimited general obligation pledge.
SUMMARY RATINGS RATIONALE
The Aa3 rating reflects the borough's sizeable tax base, above average
wealth levels and average debt burden.
The stable outlook reflects the borough's improved financial position
with greater structural balance and augmented reserves .
STRENGTHS
- Sizeable tax base
- Strong wealth and income levels
-Additional available liquidity in utility funds
CHALLENGES
- Relatively narrow Current Fund balance level
- Deferral of school tax levy (albeit smaller than in previous
years)
-High fixed costs, including debt service
WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO UP:
-- Further decreases in the percentage of school tax levy
deferred
--Augmentation of Current Fund balance
--Decline in debt burden and annual debt service costs
-- Maintenance of financial flexibility afforded by excess
levy capacity and additional liquidity
WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO DOWN:
-- Draws on reserves and/or reduced liquidity
-- Protracted economic weakness and tax base contraction
--Increases in the percentage of school tax levy deferred
The principal methodology used in this rating was General Obligation Bonds
Issued by U.S. Local Governments published in October 2009.
Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for
a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
The Global Scale Credit Ratings on this press release that are issued
by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU are endorsed by Moody's
Investors Service Ltd., One Canada Square, Canary Wharf,
London E 14 5FA, UK, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph
3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that has issued a particular Credit Rating is available on www.moodys.com.
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 Investors Service's information.
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entity, obligation or credit satisfactory for the purposes of issuing
a rating.
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for information on (A) MCO's major shareholders (above 5%) and
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the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Josellyn Yousef
Asst Vice President - 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
Julie Beglin
Vice President - Senior Analyst
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 assigns Aa3 rating to the Borough of Red Bank's (NJ) $8.3 million General Obligation Bonds, Series 2012; Outlook revised to stable from negative