Standard & Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'A' rating, and stable outlook, to Houston County, Ala.'s series 2004 GO warrants. The rating reflects the county's: Position as southeast Alabama's regional economic center; Sound financial performance and position; and Low debt burden, coupled with limited future capital needs. Offsetting rating factors include the county's: Concentrated property tax base, and Below-average income levels. The county's full faith and credit pledge secures the warrants. Houston County, with a population of 89,966, and the county seat of Dothan, Ala. serve as a regional trade and health care center for Alabama's surrounding rural counties, as well as parts of Florida and Georgia. Leading area employers include several regional hospitals, Sony Magnetic Tape Products, Purdue Farms
