Debt Obligations
Understanding County Finances
The Debt Obligations Transparency page provides a broad understanding of the County’s debt. Various types of long-term debt have been issued by the county and its blended component unit, Travis County Bee Cave Road District No. 1, for acquisition and construction of major capital projects, and this page helps with understanding the nature of the debt. The County Commissioners are responsible for setting the County’s property tax rates, which are levied for maintenance and operation and debt service requirements related to General Obligation Bonds, Certificates of Obligation, and Refunding Bonds. Neither Travis County nor Road District has ever defaulted on the payment of principal or interest on its bonds or certificates of obligation.
Travis County Bond Ratings
Bond rating agencies are companies that assess the creditworthiness of both debt securities and their issuers. Credit rating agencies publish the ratings used by investment professionals to assess the likelihood that the debt will be repaid. Each bond rating agency uses a unique letter-based rating system to quickly convey to investors whether a bond carries a low or high default risk and whether the issuer is financially stable. Standard and Poor's highest rating is AAA and Moody’s highest rating is Aaa.
| Rating Agency | Bond Rating | Report |
|---|---|---|
| Moody's Investor Service | Aaa |
|
| S&P Global | AAA |
|
Travis County Debt
As of: 09/30/2021
*All of Travis County's Outstanding Debt is tax supported. Travis County has no revenue supported debt.| FY | Principal Balance | Deferred Amount | Capital Lease | Total Outstanding Debt | Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,063,665,000 | $83,851,718 | $32,535,850 | $1,180,052,568 | $860 |
| 2020 | $1,091,115,000 | $94,790,970 | $2,984,432 | $1,188,890,402 | $891 |
| 2019 | $1,077,075,000 | $90,572,931 | $3,670,569 | $1,171,318,500 | $898 |
| 2018 | $716,671,311 | $37,149,023 | $157,826 | $753,978,160 | $592 |
| 2017 | $696,569,742 | $42,671,222 | $311,817 | $739,552,781 | $595 |
County Debt Obligations by Issuance
Principal Balance by Type and Fiscal Year
The chart and corresponding table below outline Travis County Debt Obligations by fiscal year including both tax supported and revenue supported bonds. The totals reflect the balance as of the close of each fiscal year. Increases from year to year indicate that new debt was issued, either from a bond election or certificates of obligations authorized by the County Commissioner's Court. Decreases in debt are indicative of debt service payments or bond refundings.
Toggle Items in the chart by clicking an item in the legend.
Inflation Adjusted Debt
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices from one year to the next. Changes in the CPI are used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living. By assigning the current fiscal year as the base year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated the associated multiplication factor needed to compare the rate of inflation from one year to the next. Additionally, the Per Capita value displays the average debt burden for the population within the county.
Inflation Adjusted Debt Per Capita
Underlying Data
| Fiscal Year | Total Outstanding Debt | CPI Multiplier | Population | Inflation Adjusted Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $696,569,742 | 1.11 | 1,242,674 | $595 |
| 2018 | $716,671,311 | 1.09 | 1,273,741 | $592 |
| 2019 | $1,077,075,000 | 1.07 | 1,304,311 | $898 |
| 2020 | $1,091,115,000 | 1.05 | 1,334,310 | $891 |
| 2021 | $1,063,665,000 | 1.00 | 1,372,063 | $860 |