What Is Municipal Leasing And How Does It Work

| Saturday, June 29, 2013
By Myrtle Cash


Of the many funding options available today, state governments however can turn to municipal leasing rather than dealing with a commercial lender in order to obtain the equipment and real property they need to function. There are many advantages and benefits to the government when it comes to a municipal lease and one benefit is that the interest on the loan is tax-exempt. This by far is the greatest benefit but there are more.

This type of lease includes termination for non-appropriation language. It is a clause in the contract that says if the lessee can no longer fund the equipment or real property due to difficulty in future payments, the lessee can terminate the lease with no further penalties or obligations at the end of the current appropriation period. This helps to prevent debt for the government.

During the lease agreement's term the municipality holds the title while the lessor holds security interest in whatever is leased whether it is equipment or real property. The lessee at any time can pay the lease off in its entirety by paying the accrued interest and remainder of the principal. This by far is an easier type of lease to deal with because the lessee is building residual value and equity in their purchase over time.

Government entities use municipal leases in order to operate in an efficient manner. They use this funding option to purchase equipment or property in order to conduct business and to help the districts under their power get the things they need in order to run effectively such as vehicles for police, fire and emergency personnel. Public universities and colleges, hospitals, towns, villages, cities and school districts all benefit within the municipality.

There are specialists in this type of lease option and they will work with agencies closely to ensure they get the type of funding they need. These agents can walk one through the entire process and explain the various options available and what the requirements are to obtain this funding. Some of the requirements for a state government to obtain this funding are that they have domain over the municipalities or power, have police enforcement and are able to collect and levy taxes.

Many state governments have benefited from this type of lease to satisfy their equipment and property needs because they have this option available to them. In this way they are using their resources more wisely and saving money in the process which can be passed down throughout the state and its municipalities. The entire state benefits from the extra savings.

At this time the only ones who can benefit from this lease agreement are state government agencies. They can carry out their business functions and get the equipment they need to operate in a manner that is efficient and effective. One feature of the lease is that the state's credit rating is not taken into account.

One other factor of municipal leasing is that the state government's credit rating is not considered as in other types of funding. This often helps government officials who find that their state is not exactly financially sound as it should be. Since this is not a factor in lending, governments can carry on operations as usual while they continue to strive to improve their state.




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