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Ballot question

Henderson County Open Space Preservation Bonds Referendum

On the ballot in
Henderson County
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the County of Henderson in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds if approved by the following ballot question. SHALL the order authorizing $25,000,000 of bonds plus interest to pay the capital costs of acquisition and improvement of land or interests therein for open space and conservation purposes, including, but not limited to, the protection of natural resources and preservation of farmland and scenic landscapes, including the acquisition of the development rights in the land, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved, in light of the following: (1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bonds, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $39,028,000 (consisting of $25,000,000 principal amount of the bonds plus $14,028,000 of interest). (2) The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $10.10 per year.

A “Yes” vote means

Allows Henderson County to issue up to $25 million in bonds to buy land or development rights for open space and farmland, repaid by property taxes (about $10.10 a year per $100,000 of value).

A “No” vote means

Henderson County could not issue these bonds; the county says other funding sources may be sought for the project.

The county says the bonds would fund its existing Farmland Preservation Program, which buys development rights from willing landowners to conserve farmland permanently. The estimated tax increase is up to 1.01 cents per $100 of value (about $40.40 a year on a $400,000 home); the bonds would be issued under N.C. Local Government Commission oversight.

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.