Guilford County government has spent a ton of money over the last few years and plans on borrowing a lot more to spend in the future.

So it’s a very good thing that a new credit rating conducted by the big three rating agencies awarded Guilford County a perfect score across the board.

 The last time the agencies looked at the county’s financial condition, the county also received a very rare hat trick of perfect scores as well.  This time around, the new rating was conducted because the county is getting ready to issue $180 million in school bonds that voters approved in 2020.

At a Thursday, Feb. 1 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting, County Manager Mike Halford informed the board of the good news and said county staff had really worked well together to make sure the financial state of the county remained solid.

 Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service all gave Guilford County’s their top-tier AAA/Aaa ratings for the county’s General Obligation bond debt.

 AAA/Aaa bond ratings are the highest possible ratings a local government can get and it means the county will be able to borrow that $180 million at the best market rates.

The county plans to issue the new round of school bonds later this month.

Halford informed the commissioners that Guilford County is one of only 55 counties in the country with the highest rating from all three major agencies.

The top bond ratings are based on Guilford County’s growing and diverse economic base, strong financial position, and the proper management of its finances.

Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said the day after the meeting that the county’s AAA bond rating “speaks volumes about the strategic financial planning we’ve embraced,” and added that it “underscores our commitment to fiscal responsibility.”

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