New York, August 29, 2019 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned an A2 rating to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, PA's $160 million Lease Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2019. Concurrently, we maintain an A2 rating on the City of Philadelphia's parity service fee and lease revenue bonds (non-pension related) as well as an A2 on its outstanding general obligation debt. We also maintain an A3 rating on the city's pension obligation bonds.
The outlook is stable for all rated securities.
Approximately $3.65 billion (as of August 31, 2019) of tax-supported debt is currently outstanding.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The A2 rating reflects the city's large and diverse tax base and its position as a regional hub for the mid-Atlantic US. The rating incorporates other tax base strengths not captured in traditional metrics, such as a significant "eds & meds" presence that serves as a considerable tax base anchor, offset by some persistent weaknesses, like the city's very high poverty and above average unemployment rate. The city also continues to face a moderately high debt and pension burden.
The A2 rating also reflects the city's comparatively narrow, but improving, financial position relative to major US city peers. Fund balance has improved considerably through fiscal year end 2018, and the city's latest 2019 projections are favorable. The city currently projects a 2019 ending fund balance of $298 million, more than double what its 2019 adopted budget assumed. The city cites better than expected business income taxes and real estate transfer taxes as two of the primary drivers behind its anticipated outperformance. Notably, the city continues to expect it will fund pensions above minimum actuarial requirements, and has contributed to a rainy day fund in 2020. We consider the city's current projections and anticipated improvements to fund balance as strong positives to its credit profile.
The City Service Agreement Revenue Bonds, as well as the city's lease obligation bonds, are rated on parity with the city's general obligation debt given that the service fee and lease payments are absolute and unconditional obligations of the city of Philadelphia. The city's pension obligation bonds are rated A3, one notch below the city's GO and other service fee debt, to reflect a higher loss given default risk given relative performance of pension obligation bonds relative to other debt in Chapter 9 bankruptcy scenarios.
RATING OUTLOOK
The outlook is stable given the city's materially improved financial position at fiscal year 2018 end, projections that show relative financial stability over the next five years, and permanent funding for Philadelphia schools that largely eliminates its previously projected deficits. The stable outlook also reflects continued positive trends in the city's economy, contributing to its improved financial health, consistently conservative budgeting and our expectation of continued positive budget to actual variance going forward.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE
- Continued growth in reserves and maintenance of fund balance at levels more commensurate with peers
- Sustained expansion in the tax base and strengthening of the socioeconomic profile
- Substantial decrease of unfunded pension liabilities
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE
- Inability to maintain structural balance; reserve draws that exceed current expectations
- Increased support to school district reducing the city's financial flexibility
- Failure to fund pension plan on sound basis going forward
- Change in service/fee legal structure
LEGAL SECURITY
The Lease Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2019, are special limited obligations of the Authority, to be paid by the City under certain leases related to the stadium for the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies, where the City of Philadelphia is the lessee.
The City has covenanted in the Security Leases and Ordinances to include in its annual operating budget and appropriate each year amounts sufficient to pay all rent payments when due. The obligation of the city to pay the rent pursuant to the Security Leases is unconditional and absolute.
USE OF PROCEEDS
The Series 2019 bond proceeds will be used to refund all of the Authority's outstanding 2007B-3 and 2014A bonds, and to pay the cost of terminating a portion of certain swap agreements entered into in connection with the refunded bonds.
PROFILE
Philadelphia is the sixth-largest city in the US, with a population of more than 1.6 million. The city has a FY 2020 general fund budget of $5 billion, and $3.95 billion (June 30, 2018) of tax-supported debt outstanding.
METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was Lease, Appropriation, Moral Obligation and Comparable Debt of US State and Local Governments published in July 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security 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 certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain 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.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.
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.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Nicolanne Serrano
Lead Analyst
Regional PFG Northeast
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street
New York 10007
US
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Orlie Prince
Additional Contact
Regional PFG Northeast
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653