Agency gives DeKalb borrowing best rating

A bond-rating agency recently gave DeKalb County its highest rating on short-term borrowing.

The MIG 1 rating from Moody’s Investor Services is only for the $110 million DeKalb expects to borrow through tax-anticipation notes, or debt to be paid back by year’s end with property tax revenue.

Moody’s kept the county’s $403 million in general obligation bonds steady at Aa3, meaning there will be no increase in borrowing costs there.

DeKalb ended 2010 with no money in reserves, deficits that prompted rating agencies to downgrade its bond rating. That rating is akin to a credit score and affects the interest rates DeKalb can secure when borrowing.