Wake County Community College Bonds Referendum

What it does

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the County of Wake, North Carolina in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest on community college bonds if approved by the following ballot question. Shall the order adopted on July 6, 2026, authorizing $149,100,000 COMMUNITY COLLEGE BONDS of the County of Wake, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds to construct, renovate, expand, improve and equip community college facilities for Wake Technical Community College, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on said bonds be approved, in light of the following: (1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of said bonds, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $228,767,016, consisting of the $149,100,000 principal amount of said bonds plus $79,667,016 of estimated 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 said bonds would be $0.90 (90 cents) per year.

A YES vote means

Wake County could borrow $149,100,000 by issuing bonds for building, renovating, expanding, improving and equipping Wake Technical Community College facilities, repaid with property taxes; the estimated total cost with interest is $228,767,016, and the estimated property tax increase is $0.90 (90 cents) a year per $100,000 of value.

A NO vote means

Wake County would not be authorized to issue these $149,100,000 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

Explained

Example

The ballot estimates the property tax increase needed to repay the bonds at $0.90 per year for each $100,000 of property value, and the total cost at $228,767,016 including $79,667,016 of estimated interest. These are estimates printed on the ballot. (source)

Who would notice

Wake County property owners, who would repay the bonds through property taxes, and Wake Tech students and staff.

How it got here

According to the ballot question, the order authorizing these bonds of the County of Wake was adopted July 6, 2026.

It is on the November 3, 2026 ballot countywide and needs a majority of voters.

Written by SpectrumVote from 2 linked sources (1, 2). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Wake County ballots

• Wake County School Bonds Referendum

All Wake County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Wake County Community College Bonds Referendum mean?

Wake County could borrow $149,100,000 by issuing bonds for building, renovating, expanding, improving and equipping Wake Technical Community College facilities, repaid with property taxes; the estimated total cost with interest is $228,767,016, and the estimated property tax increase is $0.90 (90 cents) a year per $100,000 of value.

What does a NO vote on Wake County Community College Bonds Referendum mean?

Wake County would not be authorized to issue these $149,100,000 in bonds or levy taxes to repay them.

Does this raise property taxes?

The ballot says additional property taxes may be levied to repay the bonds, and estimates the increase at $0.90 (90 cents) per year for each $100,000 of property value over the life of the bonds.

What would the money pay for?

Wake Tech lists $41 million for workforce programs (including $20 million to help complete the Fire and Rescue Training Center at Eastern Wake Campus), $65 million for Southern Wake Campus renovations and $43.1 million for collegewide renewal.

What is the total cost with interest?

The ballot estimates $228,767,016: $149,100,000 principal plus $79,667,016 estimated interest.

How many votes does Wake County Community College 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 Wake County Community College 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.