NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Sept. 26, 2001--Standard&Poor's has assigned its single-'A'-plus rating to Tacoma, Wash.'s $32 million solid waste system revenue bonds series 2001. The bonds are scheduled to sell on Oct. 2, 2001. The outlook is stable. The rating reflects a net revenue pledge of the system as security for bond repayment. The rating is supported by: -- A sound and diverse local service area economy; -- A strong revenue collection process; -- Strong control over the waste stream, as the city owns and operates a collection system; and -- Sound financial operations. A higher rating is precluded due to concerns regarding the high solid waste system fees and charges. Tacoma, with a population of 193,556,
