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Raleigh Parks Bond Referendum (2022)

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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.

In 2020, the City of Raleigh began developing a new parks bond package to address capital needs, greenway expansion, neighborhood parks, and large destination projects, including early implementation at Dorothea Dix Park. [1]

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 tiers of funding (not including funding for Dix Park).[2]

  • 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.[3]

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."[4]

Council revisits 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.[5] 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:[6]

  • 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.

A later staff presentation to City Council described the referendum as having been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that Council input was received during the March 2021 City Council Retreat. The presentation also stated that the FY22 adopted budget included the “Penny for Parks” initiative to address capital maintenance, and that capital maintenance was removed from parks bond scenarios. [7]

The Parks Department’s 2021–2022 annual report stated that City Council approved the “Penny for Parks Program” as part of the FY2022 annual budget, describing it as a one-cent property tax increase that would provide approximately $7.8 million per year for park system maintenance. [8]

Resumption and placement on the 2022 ballot

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 discussion at the March 2021 City Council retreat. [9]

In 2022, the City shifted from planning and scenario development to preparing a formal referendum. City materials published in early 2022 framed the parks bond as a voter decision to be considered on the November 8, 2022 ballot and outlined the proposed bond amount, project categories, and intended uses. [10]

City Council subsequently adopted the bond order necessary to place the parks bond referendum on the November 8, 2022 ballot, marking the conclusion of the multi-year planning process that began in 2020. The referendum was approved by voters. [11]

Transition to the 2022 referendum

In late 2021, City Council revisited the parks bond proposal, refining the scope and scale of projects and preparing to place a bond referendum on the 2022 ballot. City materials framed the 2022 referendum as a continuation of the earlier planning effort rather than a new initiative. [12]

2022 referendum

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. [13]

City of Raleigh Parks and Recreational Facilities Bonds[14]
Count Percent
Yes 119,125 73.24%
No 43,529 26.76%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Parks and Greenway Bond Projects" (link). City of Raleigh. (). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  2. ↑ "2020 Parks and Greenway Bond Recommendation" (link). Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board. MemoMarch 19, 2020 Accessed January 27, 2026.
  3. ↑ "2020 PRCR Bond - Preliminary Project Recommendations - Park Facilities" (link). Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board. Document Accessed January 27, 2026.
  4. ↑ "COUNCIL MINUTES." (April 7, 2020). (link). PARKS, RECREATION AND GREENWAY ADVISORY BOARD – BOND REFERENDUM PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS – INFORMATION RECEIVED Accessed January 27, 2026.
  5. ↑ "City Council Regular Session." (January 5, 2021). (link). Report from the Mayor and City Council Accessed January 27, 2026.
  6. ↑ "2021 Potential Parks Bond: Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board (PRGAB) Recommendations" (link). Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board. MemoFebruary 22, 2021pp. 15-16 Accessed January 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Proposed Parks Bond Discussion (City Council Work Session presentation)" (link). City of Raleigh (BoardDocs). (November 9, 2021). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources 2021–2022 Annual Report" (link). City of Raleigh. (). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Proposed Parks Bond Discussion" (link). City of Raleigh (BoardDocs). (November 9, 2021). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Parks Bond Referendum" (link). City of Raleigh. (). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Raleigh voters approve $275 million parks bond" (link). WRAL. (November 8, 2022). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  12. ↑ "City Council revisits parks bond for 2022 ballot" (link). City of Raleigh. (). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Raleigh voters approve parks bond referendum" (link). City of Raleigh. (November 8, 2022). Accessed January 27, 2026.
  14. ↑ "11/08/2022 OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - WAKE" (link). ncsbe.gov. (). Accessed January 27, 2026.
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