**PRESS RELEASE **
Re: Fitch upgrades Blount County, Tennessee to AAA
BLOUNT COUNTY, TN
Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell is more than pleased to announce at the Budget Committee and Blount County Board of Commissioners meetings tonight the news from Fitch Ratings, one of the three big credit rating agencies in the country – Blount County has been upgraded from AA+ to AAA credit rating, the highest level any County can receive.
“We’ve achieved a AAA rating and are now only one of four counties of the 95 in the State of Tennessee receiving this rating. This is something we’ve been working towards since I was first elected Mayor. As we’re just starting another Fiscal Year, this is great news for Blount County Government! This achievement is a testament to the hard work and long-term planning of our Budget Committee, Blount County Commission, and Blount County Elected Officials & employees. The continued conservative efforts of all our departments with the discipline to maintain balanced budgets, all while providing excellent services to our citizens AND adding to our fund balance, is absolutely what good government is all about.”
The primary reasons noted by Fitch Ratings for the upgrade to AAA are the county’s reduced debt resulting in lower liabilities, as well as healthy fund balances and the community’s economic strength. Simply put, Fitch evaluates how a government is performing and then rates the government using that data and other considered factors.
“We are able to achieve this top rating due to our commitment as a team to the conservative management of taxpayer money. This rare AAA designation is a direct result of budgeting within our means and a persistent pay-as-you go philosophy, none of which can happen without everyone participating to make this possible.
I am proud that Blount County has gone all the way from a AA- in 2010 to a AAA rating in the 15 years I have been Mayor, and we will continue to use sound financial practices to plan not just for today but for the future of Blount County.”
The full rating can be found at https://www.fitchratings.com/research/us-public-finance/fitch-upgrades-blount-county-tn-idr-to-aaa-outlook-stable-07-07-2025.
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