Polling shows strong support for $74M bond referendum

WLOS — ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- A poll shows strong support for a bond referendum Asheville City Council is considering to put on the ballot in the November election.

Fifty-three percent of those polled said they would likely vote in favor of a $74 million bond package, which has been broken into three categories.

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Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they would likely vote in favor of borrowing money to pay for transportation improvements and public housing initiatives. Sixty percent of people said they would likely vote to approve bond money for improvements to city parks and recreation facilities.

"What this means is that the city council is on the right track with this bond proposal, and I anticipate city council will want to move forward with putting all three questions on the ballot," Mayor Esther Manheimer said Tuesday afternoon.

At a scheduled council meeting Tuesday evening, the poll findings will be formally presented to council members, who will then decide whether to proceed with the process to put a bond referendum on the ballot.

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The cost of the study was $8,000 and it was commissioned by city council. Campaign Research & Strategy, Inc., which is based in Columbia, South Carolina, conducted the poll June 29 through July 1.

Pollsters interviewed 403 randomly selected Asheville residents over both landlines and cell phones. See the full results of the poll below: