WDM Maintains AAA Bond Rating

I'm pleased to announce that our Standard and Poor’s bond rating--upgraded to AAA last March--has been affirmed by the rating service and remains at the highest level possible. You can read our official City announcement of the rating here. I'm very proud of our elected body, staff, and the community for having the right priorities and making the kind of decisions necessary to get us here. Maintaining a AAA bond rating ensures us a direct savings in interest paid on the City's bonds. It demonstrates the confidence Standard and Poor's and Wall Street have in our City.

The upgrade was based on several things: continued strong management of the city’s high growth rate; strong management of the city’s financial position; participation and access to the larger Des Moines area economy; and economic indicators that compare favorably with state and national averages. Our ability to handle debt through the self-supporting use of tax increment financing (TIF) is also an important factor in the management of our explosive growth here in the City.

We are one of fewer than 100 cities in the nation to receive and maintain an AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor's. I'd like to personally thank the business community that continues to see West Des Moines as an attractive place to locate and expand, as well as our City Council members who have the foresight to envision a financially strong community that is not afraid to take on the challenges of growth. This is interesting to keep in mind as construction season takes off, and you will see many areas of our City start to take new shape. I hope you will find our new development as exciting as I do!