A credit rating is an independent opinion of an issuer's financial capacity to meet its debt payment obligations. A credit rating is not an audit of an issuer, nor is the rating agency acting as a financial advisor. The investment community uses credit ratings in order to differentiate credit quality when considering various investment options. Generally speaking, the higher the credit rating, the lower the credit risk to investors and the lower interest rate the County will need to pay on debt issued.

Rating agencies examine the following factors when evaluating a municipality's credit risk:

  • Support of upper levels of government (Provincial, Federal)
  • Economy
  • Financial Management
  • Budgetary Flexibility and Performance
  • Debt Burden and Liquidity
  • Contingent Liabilities

Documents:

*S and P Ratings Update - Wellington - September 19, 2022

 *Please note these reports are being published under permission from Standard and Poor's. To view more research reports and credit rating analysis, please visit their webpage at http://www.standardandpoors.com/

Economic Profile

County Economic Development staff makes a presentation to Standard and Poor's annually on the state of the local economy. This information is useful to investors and includes:

  • Economic Development Activities
  • Demographic Overview - including population and household income data
  • Local Economy - including labour force, unemployment rates and sector profiles
  • Top Employers
  • County and Local Municipal Investments
  • Local Development, Business Activity and Results

County of Wellington Economic Profile