# Council president orders an outside audit and revenue forecast after the county's bond rating is downgraded

## What happened
Citing the county's credit rating (a grade that helps set how much interest the county pays when it borrows money) being downgraded one notch, from AA- to A+ with a negative outlook — a change a financial advisor told the council was driven mainly by weaker financial reporting and unresolved state audit findings — Council President Steve Ellis used a procedural power under the council's own rules to hire an outside attorney to audit the county's finances and require the county auditor to deliver an 18-month revenue forecast by October 13. He separately required the county commissioners to report, by November 3, on transportation and building-maintenance spending and plans covering the past and next 18 months. A council member objected on the record to the president taking these actions without a council vote.

## The outcome
Executed unilaterally by the council president under existing council rules; no council vote was taken.

## Sources
- ["In light of the recent credit downgrade," 11:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9WTgXtkSw&t=707)
- [Financial advisor explains the AA- to A+ downgrade, 45:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9WTgXtkSw&t=2713)
- [Outside audit and revenue forecast ordered, 12:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9WTgXtkSw&t=739)
- [Commissioners' infrastructure report ordered, 12:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9WTgXtkSw&t=769)
- ["Vehemently in opposition to the unilateral actions," 17:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9WTgXtkSw&t=1039)

*Also known as: bond rating downgrade · S&P downgrade · AA- to A+ · county financial audit · revenue forecast · credit rating*