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Raleigh council calls November referenda on housing and transportation bonds after public hearing
Summary
Council held a public hearing and voted to call bond referenda for an affordable housing bond and a transportation bond this November; speakers at the hearing expressed concerns about how bond funds would be used to benefit low-income neighborhoods and avoid displacement.
The Raleigh City Council on Tuesday opened a public hearing on proposed general obligation bond referenda for affordable housing and transportation and voted to place both measures on the November ballot.
Finance staff explained the bond package and the legal steps required. Allison Lisonbee Bradshaw (finance) told council the public hearing was the council's third vote and staff recommended adopting bond orders and calling the referendum. She reiterated that staff designed the bond schedule so voters would not see a property tax increase tied to the bond issuance due to prior steady-state planning that set money aside for debt service.
During public comment, Octavia Rainey and other speakers urged clearer commitments that bond funds would reach neighborhoods of concentrated need. Rainey raised concerns about whether proposed transportation investments tied to bus rapid transit (BRT) could accelerate redevelopment along corridors such as New Bern Avenue and displace current transit riders. "I am concerned with coming down Newbern Avenue...The developers told me they're not doing no affordable housing," Rainey said.
Housing and community development staff explained bonds are typically used as gap financing that leverages private, federal and philanthropic layers; Emily Sutton said increasing bond proceeds will not automatically produce proportionately more units because costs and developer readiness constrain delivery.
Council votes: the council approved a resolution calling the housing bond referendum (voice vote, unanimous) and later approved the transportation bond referendum after a separate public hearing. Council also authorized staff to move forward with related steps including sending bond orders to the Local Government Commission and preparing for the November referendum.
What happens next: subject to the Local Government Commission review and the election outcome, city staff will prepare implementation plans and outreach materials to explain how projects will be prioritized and how bond dollars will be leveraged with other funds.
