CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte voters are being asked to sign off on $425 million in city borrowing this fall, split across three bond questions on the Nov. 3 ballot that would pay for transportation, housing and neighborhood work.
City figures put the package among the costliest bond referendums Charlotte has ever put before voters. Bonds let the city borrow for big projects it could not cover in a single budget year, then repay the debt over time.
Transportation makes up the largest share at $280 million. Most of it would go to the city’s Big Moves program, which targets dangerous intersections and adds bike lanes, while $60 million would be spread across 22 areas the city has tagged for strategic investment.
The housing question asks for $125 million, which city leaders say would keep the Housing Trust Fund going, with close to $40 million aimed at affordable rental homes. The money would also back homelessness prevention, help with rent and utility bills, and more shelter beds. A third question seeks $20 million for neighborhood upgrades such as sidewalks, greenways and partnerships with private developers.
The City Council adopted the bond orders on Aug. 10, 2026. According to the official ballot language for the housing bonds, the full cost over the life of that debt could reach about $198.4 million, including roughly $73.4 million in interest, but the estimated property tax increase needed to repay it is $0.00 per $100,000 of value each year. A no vote on any question would block the city from issuing those bonds.
Early voting is already busy: nearly 90,000 Mecklenburg County residents have cast ballots so far. If the bonds pass, the city expects to finish the projects over the next several years.
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