GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro voters approved five separate bond measures Tuesday night, totaling $135 million.
The five bonds will be used to pay for parks and recreation improvements, housing, transportation, and emergency services upgrades.
The projects will be paid for through a property tax increase of 1.25 cents per $100 of assessed value already approved by the Greensboro City Council. It would mean for a $100,000 home, the tax rate would go up about $12.50 and for a $200,000 home, it would go up $25.
"We don't anticipate any additional tax increases for the 2022 bond," said Jon Decker, the Budget and evaluation director for the city of Greensboro. "The budget was adopted assuming that they pass."
Parks and Recreation
$70 million
The largest of the bond measures is $70 million for Parks and Recreation upgrades.
It would mean more upgrades to the Battleground Parks District. Some improvements have already been made to Country Park. This would pay for the next steps, which include building a boardwalk around the lake.
Another project is to build the Windsor-Chavis-Nocho Joint Use Facility at Nocho Park near Dudley High School. It would combine Windsor Recreation Center and Chavis Library on the park grounds. The plan is to include a library, a pool, recreation, and education space, and even health services at the center.
Voters in Greensboro Tuesday had the Parks and Recreation bond on their minds.
"When I think about bond measures, I really think about not just what’s going on now but what’s going to take place in the future," said Jerald Neely, a Greensboro voter. "If my kids want to enjoy Parks and Rec. 10 years from now, those facilities they'll use have to be vote on now."
It was personal for voter Travon Graves.
"I grew up around where Windsor Center is and I do know that it probably needs some stuff done to it," Graves said. "But I grew up around there and that area even with the library, so I would like to see a change in it."
Twenty million dollars of the $70 million bond will also help the Greensboro Science Center pay for two new projects. It plans to build a new biodome and aquatic rehab center.
"The most important (bond) to me was the Parks and Rec. (bond), particularly the part of it on the science center because I thought that was really good," said voter Allen Andrew. "It’s going to be leveraged because the science center raises money privately to go with the bond funds so it will be multiplied."
Housing
$30 million
The second largest bond is for housing with $30 million. It would go toward affordable housing, make homeownership easier and make some neighborhoods more attractive to buyers.
"The housing market right now is really kind of high and I know that people are trying to buy homes and they just can’t afford it right now," said Graves. "So I think with that bond passing, if it passes, it will be good for those that seek it and try to get home."
Transportation
$15 million
The city said much of the $15 million would go toward sidewalk improvements, for which bond money has been used before.
Firefighting Facilities
$14 million
Fourteen million dollars would go toward updates for several city fire stations. Fire Station 7 was recently remodeled using bond money. The City Manager's Office said these improvements would be similar. It would mean things like adding women's locker rooms.
Law Enforcement Facilities
$6 million
The Greensboro Police Department would get $6 million. It would go toward remodeling parts of police headquarters downtown as well as updating the city's 911 and police records system.