The races at the top of the ballot, for Congress, General Assembly and local leaders, have been getting much of the attention ahead of the midterms. But voters around the Triangle will also decide on hundreds of millions in bonds this election.

The bonds include new parks in Raleigh and Wake Forest, school funding for Wake, Durham and Johnston County, and a handful of other big projects local governments want to tackle. Big bonds like these typically raise taxes for property owners.

The tax increases for the bonds vary. According to the Local Government Commission, Johnston County would likely not have to increase taxes for the schools bond. In Wake Forest, if all four bonds pass, property owners could see taxes go up by 3 cents per $100, the commission said.

For the Wake County bonds, property tax owners would likely have a 1-cent increase for each $100, according to the Local Government Commission. Raleigh’s parks bond could increase property taxes by 4 cents per $100.

In Durham County, the three bonds on the ballot total about $550 million. If both pass, property owners could see a 2.5-cent increase, according to the county.

How much will that cost Durham homeowners? For a home valued at $500,000, a 2.5-cent increase would add $10.42 per month in local taxes. 

Voters in North Carolina get to decide when a town, city or county wants to issue bonds to pay for big projects like a new school or park, or improving roads. The state’s Local Government Commission reviews each bond proposal before they go on the ballot.

There are more than two dozen local bond questions on the ballot across North Carolina, and eleven are in the Triangle region.

Bond votes are on the bottom of the ballot, frequently on the back page. Political parties and election officials are working to make sure people don’t forget to flip their ballot over to vote for each race and question on the ballot.

Here are the bonds questions the ballot in the Triangle area for the Nov. 8 General Election:

Johnston County School Bonds

Shall the order authorizing up to $177,000,000 of General Obligation School Bonds of Johnston County, plus interest, to finance, in whole or in part, the acquisition, construction and equipping of modifications, renovations, additions, improvements and extensions to existing facilities and/or one or more new buildings or other school facilities for Johnston County public schools, including acquisition of necessary land and rights-of-way, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, be approved?

Durham County School Bonds

Shall the order authorizing $423,505,000 of bonds to pay the capital costs of erecting, remodeling, enlarging and reconstructing school buildings and other school plant facilities and acquiring necessary land, furnishings and equipment therefor, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved?

Durham County Community College Bonds

Shall the order authorizing $112,740,000 of bonds to pay the capital costs of expanding and improving the facilities for Durham Technical Community College, including the construction of two new educational buildings, the acquisition of necessary furnishings and purchases of land for needed expansion therefor, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved?

Durham County Museum Bonds

Shall the order authorizing $13,995,000 of bonds to pay the capital costs of expanding and improving the facilities for the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, including making improvements to exhibits, expanding meeting space, supporting upgrades to HVAC systems and undertaking projects to improve sustainability, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved?

Wake County School Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 11, 2022, authorizing SCHOOL BONDS of the County of Wake, North Carolina in an amount not to exceed $530,700,000 plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds to construct, renovate, expand, improve and equip school buildings and other school facilities, and providing that additional taxes shall be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved?

Wake County Community College Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 11, 2022, authorizing COMMUNITY COLLEGE BONDS of the County of Wake, North Carolina in an amount not to exceed $353,200,000 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 shall be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved?

City of Raleigh Parks and Recreational Facilities Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 5, 2022, authorizing not exceeding $275,000,000 PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BONDS of the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, for improving and expanding the existing park, greenway and recreational facilities of said City and acquiring and constructing new park, greenway and recreational facilities of said City, inside and outside its corporate limits, including, without limitation, the acquisition of land and rights of way and the construction and furnishing of supporting facilities, and providing that additional taxes will be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, be approved?

Town of Wake Forest Greenway Improvement Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 19, 2022, authorizing not exceeding $14,350,000 GREENWAY IMPROVEMENT BONDS of the Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, to acquire, construct, improve and equip various greenways inside and outside the corporate limits of said Town, including, without limitation, any related land, easements and rights of way, and providing that additional taxes will be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, be approved?

Town of Wake Forest Parking Facilities Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 19, 2022, authorizing not exceeding $12,500,000 PARKING FACILITIES BONDS of the Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, to acquire, construct and equip public parking and appurtenant facilities for said Town, including, without limitation, any related land, easements and rights of way, and providing that additional taxes will be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, be approved?

Town of Wake Forest Roadway and Transportation Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 19, 2022, authorizing not exceeding $23,720,000 ROADWAY AND TRANSPORTATION BONDS of the Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, to construct, extend, widen, resurface, install and improve streets and sidewalks inside and outside the corporate limits of said Town, including, without limitation, bridges, grade separations, traffic and pedestrian signals, bus shelters, street lighting and other streetscape improvements and any related land, easements, rights of way and utility improvements, and providing that additional taxes will be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, be approved?

Town of Wake Forest Parks and Recreation Bonds

Shall the order adopted on July 19, 2022, authorizing not exceeding $24,430,000 PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS of the Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, to acquire, construct, improve and equip various parks and recreational facilities inside and outside the corporate limits of said Town, including, without limitation, athletic fields, courts, restrooms, shelters, lighting and any related land, easements, rights of way and dam and reservoir improvements, and providing that additional taxes will be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, be approved?