Union County voters face a $200 million question on the Nov. 3 ballot: whether to fund a new 500-bed jail that would replace the county's overcrowded detention center, built in 1994.

The general obligation bond referendum, if approved, would raise property taxes by an estimated 3.11 cents per $100 of assessed value, according to a Union County press release. For the owner of a $400,000 home, that works out to $124.40 more per year.

The Union County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday, July 20, to place the bond question on the ballot. Board Chair Brian Helms said the need for a new facility is not in dispute.

"It's not a question of whether Union County needs a new jail; it becomes a question of what's the more affordable way to make that happen," Helms said in the county's July 22 announcement.

Why a new jail

The current detention center was built under a federal court order. It now operates over capacity, according to the county, and has significant mechanical and structural problems with no room for expansion. County leaders determined that renovating the existing facility would cost roughly the same as building a replacement, making a new jail the more practical long-term option.

The proposed project would construct a roughly 500-bed detention center and repurpose the existing administrative building for staff training and operational support.

How the bond works

General obligation bonds are backed by the county's credit and taxing authority. North Carolina law requires voter approval before a county can issue them. The county said this type of bond carries lower borrowing costs than other financing methods, reducing the total interest taxpayers pay over the life of the debt.

What else is on the ballot

The jail bond is one of several referendum questions Union County voters will see. As WBTV reported, three statewide constitutional amendments also appear on the ballot, covering photo ID requirements for mail-in ballots, a lower state income tax cap and limits on local property tax increases.

Twenty-eight North Carolina counties have local referendums this cycle, according to WBTV. In nearby Mecklenburg County, voters will weigh a bond package for housing, neighborhood and transportation projects.

Early voting is underway

Union County ranked second in the Charlotte area for early voting, with 11,400 ballots cast as of Oct. 17, according to WBTV. As we reported Oct. 19, turnout across North Carolina has spiked compared with the 2022 general election. Early voting runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Voters can look up their sample ballot, including the bond referendum question, on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.