Durham May Move Forward with Parks and Rec Bond Referendum

The Durham City Council is considering a $200 million bond referendum for the November election ballot, earmarked for work on parks, recreation facilities, and streets and sidewalks.

It’s set for discussion during Thursday’s council work session. Council members on May 20 adopted two resolutions to move forward with the plan. If further approved, the referendum would go to a public hearing on June 17.

City staff are recommending that the General Obligation (GO) Bonds be used for:

• $85 million for developing parks (former Wheels Fun Park, Long Meadow, and East End).
• $60 million for new sidewalks.
• $30 million for street paving and maintenance.
• $15 million for sidewalk repairs.
• $10 million for paving dirt and gravel streets.

Most Capital Improvement Plan (CAP) projects are funded through the city’s debt service fund, which gets money (11.5 cents) from Durham’s 55.77 cent property tax rate. Those funds include the half cent set aside for Equitable & Green Infrastructure (EGI) projects.

“While there is capacity to fund ongoing CIP requests, the ever-increasing costs of labor and materials have put a strain on the fund’s ability to meet all needs,” according to a staff memo. “A GO Bond referendum approving $200 million in GO Bonds would provide extra capacity to address ongoing capital needs of new programming as well as maintain and improve an aging infrastructure.”

GO Bonds are secured by the taxing authority and could require additional property taxes, with a conservative estimate of 2.95 cents increase in fiscal year 2026 based on Durham’s AAA credit rating.

If approved in a public hearing, the referendum would appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.