City of Charlotte Transportation Bonds Referendum (Mecklenburg County)

What it does

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the City of Charlotte in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds if approved by the following ballot question. Shall the order authorizing $280,000,000 of bonds plus interest to provide funds to pay the capital costs of constructing, reconstructing, enlarging, extending and improving certain streets, including streets and roads constituting a part of the State highway system or otherwise the responsibility of the State and including the cost of related studies, streetscape and pedestrian improvements, relocation of utilities, plans and design; acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, widening, extending, paving, milling, resurfacing, grading or improving streets, roads, intersections, parking lots and pedestrian and bicycle paths; acquiring, constructing, reconstructing or improving sidewalks, curbs, gutters, storm drainage, bridges, overpasses, underpasses and grade crossings and providing related landscaping, lighting and traffic controls, signals and markers; and the acquisition of interests in land and rights-of-way required therefor, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved, in light of the following: (1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bond, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $437,113,600 (consisting of $280,000,000 principal amount of bonds plus $157,113,600 of interest). (2) The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $0.00 per year.

A YES vote means

Charlotte could borrow $280,000,000 by issuing bonds for street and road work, including state roads, intersections, sidewalks, bike and pedestrian paths, bridges, drainage, lighting and traffic signals, repaid with property taxes; the estimated total cost with interest is $437,113,600, and the estimated property tax increase is $0.00 a year per $100,000 of value.

A NO vote means

Charlotte would not be authorized to issue these $280,000,000 in bonds or levy taxes to repay them.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

On August 10, 2026, after a public hearing, the Charlotte City Council voted 10-0 to adopt the bond orders and a resolution setting the November 3, 2026 referendum, with Council Member Victoria Watlington recused, according to the council's legislative record.

The $280 million transportation question is one of three bond questions in a $425 million package, alongside $125 million in housing bonds and $20 million in neighborhood improvement bonds, according to council records.

City staff told the council that, based on the city's debt-capacity modeling, the tax rate in the FY 2027 budget is projected to support the cost of these bonds without future increases, and that the property tax increase in that budget is for public safety and not related to the bonds.

Staff noted a 2023 state law requires bond ballot questions to state estimated total principal and interest and the estimated property tax increase that could be needed, and said the estimates are non-binding.

Put on the ballot by Charlotte City Council, 10-0 (1 recused), August 10, 2026.

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3.

In the news

• A breakdown of the bonds on Charlotte ballots this fall · WFAE

Next elections here

• Charlotte election 2027 · November 2, 2027: Mayor and City Council
• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Mecklenburg County ballots

• City of Charlotte Housing Bonds Referendum
• City of Charlotte Neighborhood Improvement Bonds Referendum

All Mecklenburg County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Charlotte Transportation Bonds Referendum mean?

Charlotte could borrow $280,000,000 by issuing bonds for street and road work, including state roads, intersections, sidewalks, bike and pedestrian paths, bridges, drainage, lighting and traffic signals, repaid with property taxes; the estimated total cost with interest is $437,113,600, and the estimated property tax increase is $0.00 a year per $100,000 of value.

What does a NO vote on City of Charlotte Transportation Bonds Referendum mean?

Charlotte would not be authorized to issue these $280,000,000 in bonds or levy taxes to repay them.

How many votes does City of Charlotte Transportation Bonds Referendum need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Charlotte Transportation Bonds Referendum?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.