Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'AAA' long-term rating on Portsmouth, N.H.'s series 2015A general obligation (GO) capital improvement loan and series 2015B GO refunding bonds. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed the 'AAA' long-term rating on the city's outstanding GO debt. The outlook is stable. The city's full-faith-and-credit pledge secures the bonds. Officials intend to use the series 2015A bond proceeds for various capital improvements. Series 2015B proceeds will refund the 2005 bonds for present value savings. The rating reflects our opinion of the following factors for the city, including its: Very strong economy, with access to a broad and diverse metropolitan statistical area (MSA); Very strong management, with "strong" financial policies; Strong budgetary performance, with
