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David Holm, Asst. Supt, Indian Prairie CUSD No. 204 Steve H. Larson, Independent Financial Advisor, Ehlers & Associates Sharon Gitles Uslan, Chevron, Moderator. Is it Time to Adopt a Debt Management Policy? Presented for IASBO May 17, 2006 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Salon III (140) Skybox 4.
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David Holm, Asst. Supt, Indian Prairie CUSD No. 204 Steve H. Larson, Independent Financial Advisor, Ehlers & Associates Sharon Gitles Uslan, Chevron, Moderator Is it Time to Adopt a Debt Management Policy?Presented for IASBO May 17, 20062:00 PM – 3:00 PM Salon III (140) Skybox 4
Presentation Overview • Reasons to consider a debt management policy • Items that can be included in a debt policy and background • Examples • Indian Prairie CUSD No. 204 experience • GFOA recommended practices • Questions and Answers
Goals of the Session • Provide you with the necessary information to develop a debt policy • Provide a guide for you and your District when issuing debt • Help you evaluate your current methods for debt issuance
Why is a Debt Management Policy a useful tool for school districts? • Provides a guide for the Board and Administration, current and future • Provides justification of debt practices to public • Improves the quality of decisions • Shows a commitment to long term planning • It should help reduce borrowing costs • Provides positive signals to credit rating agencies and thecapital markets
Items to include in a Debt Management Policy • Purpose of the policy (guide for financing capital needs) • Who is responsible for developing the capital improvement plan and financing recommendations (individual, committee) • Review of Debt Policy and Capital Improvement Plan (at least annually) • Debt Limitations (legal limits, public policy limits, short term debt)
Items to Include: Debt Structuring Practices • Maximum Term (20 years, useful life of asset), • Debt Service payments (level debt service, level tax rate, increasing debt service tied to new construction projection, blending deferring principal and paying interest only, deferring payments (Capital Appreciation Bonds, higher rates .30% to .50%) • Use of optional redemption or call option (10 yrs., 8 yrs, anytime, no call) • Forced Premium (when to use it, if at all) • Fixed and variable rates of interest, • Credit enhancements, (ratings, bond insurance, other)
Items to Include: Debt Issuance Practices • Criteria for Sale Method • Competitive • Negotiated (with or without financial advisor) • Private Placement • Criteria for Advance and Current Refunding Outstanding Bonds • Minimum savings criteria (examples: 3% present value savings of refunded principal; current: anytime savings exceed cost to do it)
Items to Include: Debt Issuance Practices- Selection of Professional Service Providers Financial Advisor (independent and not) Bond Attorney Local Attorney Underwriter (Bank, Investment Firm) Rating Agency (S&P, Moody’s, Fitch) Bond Insurer Paying Agent Escrow Agent (refunding) Verification Agent (refunding)
Items to Include: Debt Issuance Practices: Types of Debt • Unlimited Tax General Obligation Bonds (School Building, plus other G.O. bonds in non-Tax Cap districts) • Limited Tax General Obligation Bonds (Working Cash, Life Safety, Funding) with Tax Capped Districts subject to a Debt Service Extension Base • Debt Certificates (Limited Tax obligations usually payable from a revenue source other than a direct tax (unlimited and limited bonds). • General Obligation Bonds (Alternate Revenue Source) Usually payable from a revenue source other than a direct tax but has a G.O. unlimited tax back-up. • Short-Term Debt- Tax Anticipation Warrants and Notes
Items to Include: Debt Issuance Practices-Use of Derivatives • Specify How Derivatives Fit Within Overall Debt Management Program • Conditions to use • Types to use • Identify approaches for managing and measuring risk • Methods for procuring and selecting products
Items to Include: Debt Issuance Practices-Comparative Pricing Services When negotiating interest rates, do you need to use some service, if not your financial advisor, to help determine and compare rates? • Municipal Market Data (Thompson Financial) • Municipal Consensus • Bloomberg and the Bond Buyer for Actual Sales Results • Investinginbonds.com (a web site of the Bond Market Association to view bond activity of your district bonds in the secondary market, you need your CUSIP numbers to view)
Items to Include: Debt Issuance Practices-Use of credit ratings • Do we get a rating? • One rating or two? • Minimum rating expectations? (A-, A3) • How do we select a rating agency? (Fitch, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s)
Items to Include: Debt Management Practices • Investment of Bond Proceeds • Continuing Disclosure Practices, Annual Filing with Central Post Office • Arbitrage Rebate Monitoring and Filing • Market and Investor Relations Effort