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APGA Attends Congressional Briefing on Municipal Bonds

By Joshua St.Pierre posted 03-20-2025 12:20 PM

  
On Tuesday, APGA staff joined members of congressional staff and many other stakeholders in the tax-exempt financing space for an informative panel discussion on the vital role that municipal bonds play in local economies. The panel consisted of elected officials, housing & development experts, and a representative from the public utilities industry. The panelists seemed to agree on the key point that tax-exempt financing for local governments keeps costs low for Americans and enables local communities to care for their citizens.
 
The vast majority of APGA members issue tax-exempt municipal bonds as a tool to finance large purchases, either for infrastructure upgrades or for gas supply. This financing tool allows community-owned gas utilities to make needed investments in their operations while ensuring that their rates are affordable for the customers they serve.
 
There is concern that some members of Congress are considering restricting or eliminating the tax-exempt status for municipal bonds as a means to pay for other legislative priorities. If this were to occur, the cost of borrowing would undoubtedly increase for utilities and consumers would likely experience increases in their utility bills across the board. 
 
APGA staff, in coordination with members of the Public Finance Network (PFN), have been hard at work educating members of Congress on the importance of tax-exempt financing. A key part of this effort is explaining the many different types of projects that are possible because of municipal bonds: roads, bridges, pipeline infrastructure, fire stations, water infrastructure, etc. Consider submitting a gas infrastructure project made possible by the issuance of these bonds to the growing list of examples that are used in our advocacy efforts. Click here for more information.
 
For questions on this article, please contact Joshua St.Pierre of APGA staff by phone at 202-407-0015 or by email at jstpierre@apga.org.

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