The 'AAA' rating on Monmouth County, N.J.'s series 2005D GO bonds reflects the county's: Strong local economy anchored by the services, retail trade, and health care industries; Substantial and rapidly growing tax base; Wealth and income levels that exceed both state and national levels; Consistently strong financial position, evidenced by regular operating surpluses and high current fund balances; and Manageable overall debt burden. The series 2005D bonds are secured by the county's full faith and credit GO pledge. Proceeds of the bonds will be used to finance the acquisition of various open space parcels within the county. Monmouth County (current population, 636,298) is in central New Jersey and neighbors Mercer, Middlesex, Burlington, and Ocean counties. The county is an affluent
