---
title: "Raleigh and Wake Voters Face Nearly $1B in Bonds"
url: https://www.hereraleigh.com/2026/10/14/raleigh-wake-bond-ballot-housing-schools/
date: 2026-10-14T05:09:16-04:00
modified: 2026-10-14T05:09:16-04:00
author: "Luciano Burton"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Raleigh"
attribution: "HERE Raleigh"
---

# Raleigh and Wake Voters Face Nearly $1B in Bonds

> RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh and Wake County voters will decide this election cycle whether to approve around $1 billion worth of bonds for housing, transportation, Wake County schools and Wake Technical Community College, with early voting beginning Oct. 15 and Election Day on Nov. 3. The City of Raleigh is seeking two $101.5 million bonds.

*Source: [HERE Raleigh](https://www.hereraleigh.com/2026/10/14/raleigh-wake-bond-ballot-housing-schools/) — October 14, 2026 by Luciano Burton*

RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh and Wake County voters will decide this election cycle whether to approve around $1 billion worth of bonds for housing, transportation, Wake County schools and Wake Technical Community College, with early voting beginning Oct. 15 and Election Day on Nov. 3.

The City of Raleigh is seeking two $101.5 million bonds. City materials say those city bonds would not raise property taxes under a steady-state model that diverts sales and property tax money into a debt fund for large capital projects, a fund estimated at $203 million every four years. The first city bond would put $57.6 million toward housing development and preservation, $10.4 million into homebuyer assistance, $21.5 million into a major project reserve and $12 million into homelessness response. The second would put $51.5 million toward three road projects, $40 million toward council-approved transportation plans and $10 million toward traffic calming and intersection safety.

Wake County bonds, already cleared by the Board of Commissioners, include $680 million for the Wake County Public School System capital improvement program, aimed mainly at renovating existing schools, and a $149.1 million Wake Tech Workforce Forward Bond. County school tax impact is estimated at $4.10 per $100,000 of property value, with about $0.90 per $100,000 for the community college bond. The school capital plan covers renovating 17 existing facilities and building eight new schools, calling for $2.9 billion from fiscal year 2027 through 2033.

At Wake Tech, $65 million would renovate facilities at the Southern Wake Campus, $43.1 million would fund renewal projects across the college and $41 million would expand workforce programs in public safety, healthcare, construction and automotive technology. Wake Technical Community College is listed locally as the largest community college in North Carolina, with multiple campuses across Wake County, about 70,000 enrollment for 2025-26, and programs that include nursing, advanced manufacturing, IT and cybersecurity, culinary arts and automotive technology. It is also named among dominant workforce pipelines feeding the county job market, alongside Wake County Public School System as a major local employer.

In 2020, Raleigh voters approved an $80 million affordable housing bond that built and preserved over 2,500 units. City Councilmember Christina Jones said the new housing measure continues that work with a larger homelessness allotment. Wake County school bond history is strong since 2012, and a county bond has not failed since 1999, though officials note economic pressure on households could still shape turnout.

If city bonds fail, council would need other funding for the same projects. Citizens Supporting Raleigh is organizing in favor of the city measures. Both city and county results will be known after polls close Nov. 3.