1. Why Focus on Wall Street Fees?
 Across the country cities, counties, school districts, and states are all
paying too much because Wall Street has rigged the system in its
favor and is getting rewarded handsomely for it.
 The bottom line is that Wall Street banks are making huge profits off
of public dollars while we are making huge cuts to communities.
 An accounting of fees provides the leverage needed to negotiate
better deals.

2. Types of Fees in Public Finance
 Cash management: Ongoing everyday cash transactions that
allow states, cities, counties, and school districts to function
 Debt management: In order to finance long-term/high-cost
projects like sewer systems, roads, housing, and school
construction, government entities issue bonds. Fees are
associated with issuing, managing, and insuring debt.
 Investment management: Public pension funds often use
external Wall Street firms to manage their investments. In
addition, states, counties, cities, and school districts often invest
funds that are not immediately being used.

3. Debt Management:
Bond Issuance Costs
Each time the City or its agencies
issue bonds, Wall Street charges fees
for structuring and selling the bonds.
Costs of issuance are one-time
charges, but they are deferred and
amortized over the life of the bonds.

4. Bond Issuance Costs
Underwriter fees (50%)
Legal fees
Trustee fees
Financial advisory fees
Consultant fees
Rating agencies’ fees
Printing costs

5. Bond Issuance Costs
Issuance costs incurred in a given year = the
total cost of issuance for all of the bonds issued
in one fiscal year
Issuance costs paid in a given year = the total
costs paid as debt service that can be attributed
to costs of issuance

6. Bond Issuance Costs
To calculate issuance costs incurred in a given
year
Find out what bonds were issued
Compile all issuance costs
Search for bond issuance costs using official
statements

7. Bond Issuance Costs
• Searching for individual or groups of bonds
 Official statements are the best source
 Continuing Disclosure documents should be
listed on municipal web pages
 City of LA CAO Continuing Disclosure
 EMMA City of Los Angeles Convention Ctr
Bonds
• To find all bonds issued in a certain period
 City of Los Angeles CAFR 2013, Note 4,
Detailed Notes on All Funds, Long-Term
Liabilities

8. Bond Issuance Costs
• Finding costs starting directly with EMMA
• Advanced search on EMMA
• Type in City/District–City of Los Angeles
• Narrow search type in year 2003
• Convention Center bonds do not come up-Why?
• Because the issuer in this case is Los Angeles
Convention and Exhibition Center Authority—Not City
of Los Angeles
• Thus, much easier to navigate EMMA armed with
continuing disclosure documents

9. Official Statement:
Estimated Sources and Uses of Funds
Note separate listings for each bond series

10. Calculating Cost of Issuance as Percentage of Principal*
Bonds Principal
Cost of
Issuance
% COI of
Principal
Series 2003A Bonds 226,045,000 3,551,667 1.57
Series 2003 Variable
Rate Bonds 235,520,000 4,057,304 1.72
Note: Percentages are quite high relative to more recent bond issuances.
*Principal, par, or nominal is the amount of debt which will need to be
repaid at the end of the term.

11. Bond Issuance Costs Incurred
To calculate issuance costs incurred in a given
year
 Find all bonds issued that year
 Add up all issuance costs for those bonds
 Example: total issuance costs incurred in City of Los
Angeles in FY 2013 = $12.9 million

12. Bond Issuance Costs Paid
To calculate issuance costs paid in a given year
Use CAFR
LA City CAFR 2013
Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in
Fund Balances
Cost of Issuance as part of debt service listed for all
governmental funds

14. Total Cost of Issuance Paid for FY13 $1,777,000

15. Bond Issuance Costs
Issuance costs incurred in FY 2013 = $12.9 million
Issuance costs paid in FY 2013 = $1.8 million

16. Estimating Issuance Cost
 No official statement exists
 Official statement exists but costs of issuance are not deferred and
amortized (e.g., Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes)
 Use the ratio of cost of issuance divided by principal amount
issued for similar debt to estimate issuance costs

17. Estimating Issuance Cost
Debt by Fund/Department Principal Issued
Issuance cost
(one-time)
% COI/Principal
Sewer Fund (Wastewater)
Series 2012-D
(Subordinate Refunding)
(Variable Rate) 280,860,000 919,370 .33%
Series 2013-A
(Subordinate Refunding) 349,505,000 1,085,262 .32%
Series 2013-A 149,980,000 564,872 .37%
Series 2013-B (Refunding) 143,880,000 424,269 .29%
Average percent .33%

18. Practice Calculating Costs
What is the average COI/Principal for this issuance?

19. Group Exercise:
Finding and Calculating Issuance Costs
• Google, City of San Francisco Debt Management, Click on
Controller: Office of Public Finance, Documents, Financial
Documents
• Find Issuance Costs for the following: Hint (search for Sources
and Uses of Funds)
CCSF Finance Corporation Lease Revenue Bonds, Series
2006A
CCSF General Obligation Bonds, Series 2005E, F, G, and H
• What is the average percent of COI/Principal issued for the
Series 2005 E, F, G, and H bonds?

20. What are the issuance costs in your city?
 Find the appropriate CAFR
 Look for Continuing Disclosure Documents
 Search Finance and Debt Management divisions
 Go directly to EMMA Advanced search on EMMA
 Calculate bond issuance costs for multiple types of debt (i.e.,
General Obligation Bonds, Revenue Bonds, etc.).