Credit Rating

The District Municipality of Muskoka's credit rating is prepared by Moody's Investors Service and has remained unchanged since the 2008 review.  On February 28, 2018 Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the Aa2 issuer and long-term debt ratings of the District.  At the same time, the baseline credit assessment (BCA) was upgraded to aa2 from aa3.  The upgraded BCA reflects improvements in Muskoka's intrinsic credit strength, including its decreased debt burden and improving liquidity.  The outlook on all ratings is stable.

The main purpose of a credit rating is to provide confidence and financial information to potential purchasers/investors in debentures issued by the District. The benefits of a strong credit rating are that it:

• Reduces the interest rate costs on new debt issues
• Allows for more flexibility in negotiating the length and terms on new debt
• Generally increases the market for the District's debentures

In addition, the annual credit rating and analysis provides a snap shot of the financial position and performance of the corporation, by an independent agency, for both public and District Council to review.