Raleigh Parks Bond Referendum (2022)

The 2022 Raleigh Parks Bond Referendum was a voter-approved bond measure that provided funding for parks, greenways, and recreational facilities across the City of Raleigh. The referendum appeared on the November 8, 2022 ballot and was approved by voters.

The bond was the outcome of a multi-year planning and public discussion process that unfolded primarily in 2020 and 2021. During that period, the City developed and debated a proposed parks bond, initially considering placement on a 2020 ballot before postponing the referendum twice during the COVID-19 pandemic and revisiting it in 2022.

Background

Raleigh has historically used voter-approved general obligation bonds to fund parks and greenway investments. Prior parks-related bond referenda were approved in 2003, 2007, and 2014.

Timeline of the proposed parks bond (2020–2021)

Advisory board recommendations in spring 2020

On January 7, 2020, the Raleigh City Council directed the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board (PRGAB) to develop a proposal for a November 2020 Parks and Greenway Bond and submit their recommendations to Council. On March 19, 2020, the PRGAB submitted recommendations for three potential tiers of funding (not including funding for Dix Park).

• Tier 1 - $101,300,000 with 4-year rollout
• Tier 2 - $150,300,000 Including all Tier 1 projects with 5-year rollout
• Tier 3 - $200,100,000 Including all Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects with 5-year roll out
• Dorothea Dix Park: Phase 1 Implementation: PARGAB assumed the city's contribution (as part of the bond) to be $50 million to allow for other needed projects throughout the city.

PRGAB submitted a list of recommended projects that could be funded by the proposed 2020 bond.

On April 7, 2020, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin shared that the Council had decided to postpone the parks bond until next year, instead prioritizing the housing bond in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to council meeting minutes, Baldwin "pointed out the irony that parks and greenways have become a place of refuge during this crisis, adding people will recognize that and appreciate it. She stated the Council will work hard next year to ensure the parks and greenways receive the support they deserve and thanked the Board again for their efforts."

Council revisits park maintenance in 2021

On January 5, 2021, Baldwin asked the PRGAB to review its bond proposal from the previous year and present updated recommendations during the Council retreat on March 12, 2021. At the retreat, the PRGAB again presented three tier scenarios ranging from $101 million to $200 million. The advisory board also submitted two short-term alternatives to a bond issuance:

• A one cent property tax to be enacted ASAP for parks and greenway maintenance, thereby shrinking the bond to focus on significant projects.
• A two-cent property tax to replace the bond and cover ongoing maintenance needs and smaller capital projects.

During a work session on April 8, 2021, City staff estimated that deferred maintenance of the City's parks system would cost between $150 and $175 million, which includes $15 million in annual need to cover eight full-time staff and other recurring expenses. Staff also estimated that a one cent property tax would raise an estimated $7.6 million, while a two cent tax would raise an estimated $15.3 million.

On June 7, 2021, Council adopted the FY 2022 Budget and Capital Improvement Program, which included a one cent "Penny for Parks" program to raise $7.6 million for parks maintenance.

After a period of reduced activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Raleigh formally resumed work on a parks bond referendum in late 2021. A November 9, 2021 City Council work session presentation described the referendum as “pandemic impacted and postponed” and summarized prior Council input, including the discussion at the March 2021 City Council retreat.

At the November meeting, staff presented three updated scenarios for a potential 2022 parks bond, noting that the referendum was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation noted that because the FY2022 budget included the "Penny for Parks", that capital maintenance was removed from the November 2021 parks bond scenarios. Staff presented three scenarios for $180 million, $212 million, and $266 million.

During the November 9 meeting, councilmembers expressed concerns that the bond scenarios could equitably address park needs across all districts.

In the meeting minutes, Council member David Cox said of the recommendations: "I’m going to point out, again, what I have been pointing out for the past 2 years is that District B has the lowest—or next to lowest—number of park amenities of all the districts in the City. We have the lowest number of developed parks, we have the smallest number of playgrounds, we have the smallest number of fields and courts, we have the smallest percentage of population within 10 minutes of a park, we have the smallest percentage of the population within 10 minutes of a greenway, we have the smallest number of centers, we have the smallest number of aquatics facilities. And yet, District B has 61% of its population is minority."

Resumption and placement on the 2022 ballot

At a May 10, 2022 City Council work session, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources staff presented updated scenarios for a proposed parks bond intended for placement on the November 2022 ballot. Staff reported that project cost estimates had increased by approximately 12.5 percent due to inflation, workforce constraints, supply-chain disruptions, and related market conditions. Staff also noted that some project assignments by council district will change to reflect updated City Council district boundaries following redistricting.

Three bond scenarios were presented, with total values ranging from approximately $230 million to just over $300 million. Following discussion, Council members directed staff to return with a revised proposal based on Scenario 3 at approximately $275 million, reduce the proposed budget for the Devereux Meadows project to $13.5 million, and continue evaluating opportunities for public-private partnerships and project phasing.

On May 17, staff returned with a $275 million bond proposal that identifies other funding opportunities through philanthropy, naming rights, sponsorships, and public-private partnerships.

The Council voted on June 7 to direct staff to file a bond request not to exceed $275 million with the Local Government Commission. The vote was 6-2 in the affirmative, with Councilmember David Cox and Councilmember Stormie Forte voting against.

A public hearing was held for the parks bond referendum on July 5. There were no registered speakers in support of the referendum at the public hearing, and nine spoke against the referendum who were supportive of more funding for affordable housing. The Council voted 6-2 to put the bond referendum on the November 2022 ballot. Councilmember David Cox and Councilmember Stormie Forte voted against.

2022 Referendum Results

The parks bond referendum appeared on the November 8, 2022 ballot and was approved by Raleigh voters. The bond authorized funding for a range of park and greenway projects across the city.

City of Raleigh Parks and Recreational Facilities Bonds

	Count	Percent
Yes	119,125	73.24%
No	43,529	26.76%

Bond Implementation

The Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department published an interactive map of projects funded by the 2022 bond, and a dashboard that tracks bond spending.

• Interactive Map
• 2022 Parks Bond Spending Tracker

See also

• Dix Park
• Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan