Page 405 - FortWorthFY22AdoptedBudget
P. 405

B.     Assumption of Additional Debt

                                  The City shall not issue more debt than it retires each  year without first
                                  conducting an objective analysis as to the City’s ability to assume and
                                  support  additional  debt  service  payments.  When  appropriate,  self-
                                  supporting revenue bonds shall be  considered before general obligation
                                  bonds. To the extent permitted by State law, commercial paper may  be
                                  utilized and/or issued in the City’s tax-supported and revenue-supported
                                  bond  programs  in  order  to:  (1)  provide  appropriation  authority  for
                                  executing  contracts  on  bond-funded  projects;  (2)  provide  interim
                                  construction  financing;  and  (3)  take  advantage  of  lower  interest  rates
                                  in  the short-term market; all of which provide the City with flexibility in
                                  timing its entry into the long-term fixed rate market.

                           C.     Affordability Targets

                                  1.     General Obligation Bonds

                                         The City shall use an objective analytical approach to determine
                                         whether it can afford  to issue new general purpose debt (General
                                         Obligation  bonds,  tax  notes,  and  Certificates  of  Obligation)
                                         beyond  what  it  retires  each  year.  This  process  shall  take  into
                                         consideration any potential impact to the City’s credit ratings, the
                                         growth in the City’s taxable assessed value, and the targeted debt
                                         service  tax  rate. The  process  shall  also  examine  the  direct costs
                                         and benefits of the proposed expenditures. The decision on whether
                                         or not to issue new debt shall be based on these costs and benefits,
                                         the current conditions of the municipal bond market, and the City's
                                         ability to "afford" new debt as determined by the aforementioned
                                         standards.

                                  2.     Revenue Bonds

                                         Revenue bonds are secured solely by the revenues of an operating
                                         fund. As a result, the credit markets look at the type of revenue
                                         securing the payment of debt service on the bonds  to  determine
                                         the  level  of  security  necessary  for  the  purchase  of  the    bonds.

                                         Whether  revenue  bonds  can  be  secured  with  gross  revenues  of
                                         the operating fund or  net revenues (i.e., those revenues remaining
                                         after  paying  costs  of  operation  and  maintenance)  is  often




                                                                                                           Page 405 of 581
   400   401   402   403   404   405   406   407   408   409   410