Triangle voters approve $1.87B in bonds for schools, parks and higher education

Voters backed raising bonds for cities and counties across the Triangle that will fund improvements in parks, public schools and higher education -- and boost tax bills for residents.

Posted 4:19 a.m. Nov 9, 2022 — Updated 12:21 p.m. Nov 10, 2022

WRAL News staff

RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County homeowners will spend an average of about $35 per year more in taxes after voters approved bonds Tuesday to cover improvements and expansions in the county’s public school system and at Wake Technical Community College.

With all precincts reporting, Wake voters approved the school bond 70.98% to 29.02% and the college bond 69.51% to 30.49%.

Voters in Raleigh also backed a parks bond, 73.11% to 26.89%, while Wake Forest voters supported all four bond measures for parks on their ballots.

Complete, up-to-date 2022 November Election Results

Wake voters agreed to borrow $530.7 million to fund portions of four new schools in the Wake County Public School System, for portions of major renovations at eight schools and for various replacement projects and upgrades for aging equipment at dozens of existing schools. New system schools would be mostly in the western portions of the county, though renovations and equipment replacement would be more spread throughout the county.

Wake Tech will get a $353 million bond to build a new campus in Apex and expand the health sciences campus in Raleigh. The bond also will add a cyberscience facility in the Research Triangle Park and upgrade the community college's Southern Wake campus.

Meanwhile, Raleigh approved $275 million for parks, including a new aquatic center at Chavis Park, construction of a play plaza and additional updates in and around Dix Park and the plans that will turn a city maintenance yard along Capital Boulevard into a new urban park.

Proposed bonds worth hundreds of millions of dollars would pay for public school construction, parks and Wake Tech expansion

The average annual tax bill for Raleigh residents will increase because of the school bonds — plus another $127 for parks and greenways.

Wake County's bonds will cost homeowners one cent more for every $100 their property is assessed to be worth. City of Raleigh taxpayers will add roughly 4 cents per $100 in assessed property value on top of that for their parks.

Based on the average assessed home value of $337,000 in Wake County, the average tax bill for a county homeowner will go up $33.70 per year.

In Raleigh, the average assessed home value is $317,493. That homeowner will pay an extra $31.75 for the county bonds tax, plus about $127 more for the city parks taxes for a total increase of $158.75 per year.

Durham approves schools and community college improvements

Durham voters approved all three bonds on the ballot Tuesday by overwhelming margins.

The three bond referenda totaled $550.2 million for Durham public schools, Durham Technical Community College, and the Museum of Life and Science. Approval of the bonds will increase taxes on residents by $25 dollars a year for every $100,000 of a home’s assessed value.

With 91% of precincts reporting, 83% of voters approved the school bonds, 82% approved the community college bonds and 79% approved museum bonds.

Durham Public Schools will receive $423.5 million. Durham Technical Community College will receive $112.7 million. The Museum of Life and Science will receive $14 million.

Durham residents to vote on $550.2 million bond next month

The funding for DPS will upgrade existing facilities, including renovating classrooms. Durham Technical Community College is planning two new facilities, with the remaining funding going toward land acquisition for future expansion. Funding for the Museum of Life and Science will be used to modernize the learning environment, perform sustainability upgrades, create new exhibits and renovate meeting spaces.

Johnston votes to ease crowded schools

Johnston County voters passed a $177 million bond referendum requested by the school board to ease growth-related crowding. With 89% of precincts reporting, 65% of voters approved the bond.

Johnston County has the fastest-growing population in North Carolina and the ninth-fastest in the country. The school population increases by an average of more than 700 students per year.

Fayetteville OKs bonds for infrastructure, housing, public safety

In Fayetteville, owners of the average $200,000 home will pay about $80 in annual taxes after voters approved a package of bonds to improve public safety, infrastructure and housing.

More than half of the package — $60 million — will be earmarked to build new fire stations and maintain old ones. It will also pay for a new 911 center to replace the one located inside City Hall. Nearly 62% of voters approved this measure.
$25 million will cover new sidewalks, improve intersections, pave streets and create bike lanes in the city. More than 66% of voters approved this measure.
$12 million will go to improving housing. More than 59% of voters approved this measure.

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