The rating on Monmouth County, N.J.'s GO bonds reflects the county's: Strong local economic base with a focus in the health care and telecommunications industries; Solid tax base growth; Wealth and income levels, which exceed both the state's and nation's levels; Sound financial performance, which is highlighted by substantial fund balances; Moderate debt burden; and Manageable capital improvement program (CIP). Monmouth County is in central New Jersey and has a population of 623,694. Although the county is primarily residential, it has its own strong economic base and is bolstered by major employers, including: Fort Monmouth Army Base (6,000 employees), Meridian Health Care (5,300), Lucent Technologies (5,077), and AT&T (4,215). Due to the county's location, residents also have easy access to
