Kenneth Branson - kbranson@newsobserver.com
From left, Russ Stephenson, Smedes York, Sig Hutchinson and Eugene Weeks encourage voters to support the transportation and affordable housing bond issues, which are on the ballot Tuesday.
Raleigh mayors past and present gathered Tuesday in Nash Square to rally support for $56 million in transportation and affordable housing bonds on the ballot next week.
The City of Oaks has a long history of investing in roads, public facilities and neighborhoods - and these are big reasons for Raleigh's success, Mayor Charles Meeker and former Mayors Smedes York and Tom Bradshaw told about 30 listeners.
This is the first transportation bond issue in city history to include money for bicycle lanes, greenways, new sidewalks and sidewalk repairs - part of what Meeker calls a "people-friendly" bond proposal.
The housing bonds would provide low-interest loans to first-time homebuyers and help the city and private developers build and renovate rental units for low-income residents.
The items, which will be listed separately on Tuesday's ballot, are smaller than previous bond issues because of the poor economy, Meeker said, adding that they are "still very important to us."
Approval of both bond proposals would translate into an annual property tax increase of $17.11 on a residential property valued at $188,139, the median-priced assessment for Raleigh homes.
AAA bond rating cited
Bradshaw touted Raleigh's AAA bond rating, which was recently upheld by ratings agencies including Moody's, Standard & Poors and Fitch Ratings, as an affirmation of the city's sound financial position.
York linked the bond proposals to Raleigh's support for school integration and other investments he described as forward-thinking.
"To me, it's a much more livable city, a better city, than it was years ago," York said. "The reason for that is the progressive nature of this community."
