Manatee County ranks in top 5% for credit rating

With just a few weeks into the next fiscal year, Manatee County received some positive financial news.

Try Independent, a credit ratings company, scored among the top 5% of local governments in terms of credit. The analysis included nearly 500 cities and counties in Florida, a press release said.

A Capital Markets analyst said the county "borrowed wisely over the years," and on-time payments on large projects helped save taxpayers money.

Fitch Ratings has also given Manatee County high marks. It assigned an AA+ , the second highest score on the scale, for the county's handling of it's utility bonds, the press release said.

County Administrator Ed Hunzeker credits the county's rating to borrowing money only when necessary, the press release said.

"You are well respected by the country’s top rating agencies for how well you marshal and manage your debt,” Hunzeker said in a release.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].