RALEIGH – City voters will decide two separate $101.5 million bond questions Nov. 3, one for affordable housing and one for transportation projects.
Approval would authorize up to $203 million in general obligation borrowing. The questions are independent, so voters may approve one and reject the other. The city says its “Steady State” debt fund would allow the borrowing without a property tax increase, using sales- and property-tax revenue already set aside for major capital work.
The housing proposal directs $57.6 million to housing development and preservation, $21.5 million to major development on city-owned sites, $12 million to homelessness response and $10.4 million to homebuyer assistance and programs that help seniors remain in their homes.
The transportation proposal assigns $51.5 million to road projects on Marsh Creek Road and Trawick Road-West, Ebenezer Church Road, and the Southern Bus Rapid Transit corridor. Another $40 million would support adopted transportation plans, including sidewalks, bikeways and safety projects, while $10 million would go to neighborhood traffic management and partnerships.
The city’s official referendum page says the amount of debt available through the Steady State fund could decline if sales- or property-tax collections fall. It also says the City Council could supplement bond funding with grants or other city funds if project costs exceed the amounts available.
Independent coverage confirms the amounts and the city’s financing plan. Donald Bryson, president of the John Locke Foundation, told WUNC that Raleigh has strong credit and borrowing capacity but cautioned against making debt a routine way to pay for government priorities. Terrell Midgett, a co-chair of the campaign supporting both bonds, told INDY Week the housing proposal would help Raleigh continue building and preserving affordable housing as the city grows.
Only voters registered at City of Raleigh addresses will decide the two questions. WUNC reported that the bond questions appear on the back of many ballots, meaning voters may need to check both sides.
Sources
- City of Raleigh 2026 bond referendum page
- WUNC explainer on the Raleigh bond questions
- INDY Week guide to Wake County bond questions
Photo Credit: Raleigh skyline photograph by Quintin Soloviev via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 4.0; cropped for format.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.