Press Release
S&P Rating Report
Moody’s Rating Report
MDC receives high bond ratings prior to $82M sale and $21.9M refunding
(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District (MDC) announced today that Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings have released their ratings on organization’s outstanding and upcoming general obligation bond issues.
Moody’s Investor Service affirmed its Aa2 rating and S&P Global affirmed its AA rating on the MDC’s outstanding general obligation bonds. Both agencies maintained these ratings for the MDC’s upcoming new and refunding general obligation bond issue and provided a stable outlook.
The MDC sought these ratings in advance of an $82.0 million new money (series A) and $21.9 million refunding (series B) bond sale planned for August 8, 2024. The new money bond issue will finance $61.8 million in water projects, $5.1 million in sewer projects, and $15.1 million in combined funding projects. The MDC will also refund the last 10-years of payments on the district’s 2014A general obligation bond issue.
The ratings from Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s represent a high-grade rating awarded by each of these agencies. Because of these ratings, the MDC is assured of receiving favorable interest rates when it issues bonds to finance its capital projects.
MDC CEO Scott Jellison stated, “I am proud to report these favorable ratings to our member towns, district board and bond holders. With a sound financial ground, we can better plan and execute the necessary infrastructure improvements for our communities.”
MDC Chairman Donald Currey said, “These ratings demonstrate our prudent fiscal management of our member towns and rate payers’ resources and ensures the lowest possible borrowing costs for the investments we make in our infrastructure. Also, we continually look for opportunities to lower costs by refunding existing debt for lower rates.”
The rating reports issued by the two credit rating agencies present a thorough, objective, and independent analysis of the MDC’s financial operations and credit strength.
S&P Global Ratings indicated that its rating reflects the MDC’s “affluent service area, along with strong historical financial performance” and its debt service obligations benefit from management’s ability to finance its operations from a “diverse revenue stream [which] helps distribute costs over a wide base of users and helps with affordability considerations.”
Moody’s reports that its rating reflects the MDC’s “solid operating performance for sewer, water and clean water fund” and lists the MDC’s credit strengths to include an ample water supply and treatment capacity and healthy financial operations.