OREANDA-NEWS. March 31, 2016. Fitch Ratings has affirmed the following rating for Hillsborough County, Florida sales tax bonds:

--\\$67.5 million capital improvement revenue bonds, series 2012 at 'AA+'.

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

SECURITY

The capital improvement revenue bonds (sales tax bonds) are payable from the county's share of the proceeds of the local government half-cent sales tax, on parity with outstanding series 2006 bonds.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

AMPLE HALF-CENT SALES TAX COVERAGE: Debt service coverage of half-cent sales tax bonds increased to 9.5x maximum annual debt service (MADS) as of fiscal 2015 after five consecutive years of revenue growth.

TOP-LINE CREDIT STRENGTH: The county's general obligation (GO) bond rating ('AAA', Stable Outlook) is based on its consistently healthy financial position, manageable liabilities burden, and the broad-based and diverse economy.

RATING SENSITIVITIES

DETERIORATION OF RESERVES: Ratings on the revenue bonds are capped by the GO rating. Significant operating deficits leading to declines in reserves could lead to downgrades in the GO rating as well as non-ad valorem bond ratings.

PLEDGED REVENUE DOWNTURN: Sustained reductions in pledged sales tax revenues that narrow debt service coverage would be viewed negatively.

CREDIT PROFILE

Located midway down the western coast of Florida, Hillsborough County encompasses 1,266 square miles. The city of Tampa is the county seat and largest city. The 2013 county population estimate of 1.35 million has grown at a moderate pace in recent years, consistent with population trends during the 2000 to 2010 decade when population growth averaged 2.1% annually.

HIGH DEBT-SERVICE COVERAGE
Half-cent sales tax collections have historically supported wide coverage of debt service. Fiscal 2015 revenues cover MADS by 9.5x. Following a cumulative 22% decline from fiscal 2007 through fiscal 2010, half-cent sales taxes have increased in each of the past five fiscal years, exceeding their pre-recession peak in fiscal 2015. Year-to-date collections for the first four months of fiscal 2016 are up by 7.7% over the same period last year. Year-to-date collections already provide 3.4x coverage of MADS.

A 1.35x MADS ABT and lack of a debt service reserve for the series 2012 capital improvement revenue bonds are offset by the ample coverage. Additional issuance is also restricted by the use of excess half-cent sales tax revenues to fund county operations, and management indicated that there is currently no plan to further leverage sales tax revenues.