It was a good night for bonds and booze. 

While voters were picking their representatives, in some counties residents were deciding whether to approve bonds, tax increases, and the sale of alcohol.

Small towns are warming to the idea of alcohol sales, said Joe Coletti, a senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation. 

“But it’s not clear how much is based on hopes of new revenue and how much is broader changes in attitudes towards alcohol,” Coletti said.

Voters across the state rejected quarter-cent local sales and use tax hikes. The closest call was in Alleghany County, while voters in Carteret, Chowan, Guilford, and Yadkin counties held steadfast against tax referendums. 

But while voters weren’t keen on raising local sales and use taxes, they backed bonds. Several counties approved bonds for schools, affordable housing, and other infrastructure improvement projects.

Voters clearly support borrowing, Coletti said, which means higher taxes down the road. 

• Alleghany County:

Local sales and use tax referendum (quarter-cent increase)

Yes: 49.81%

No: 50.19%

• Camden County:

County of Camden School bond referendum ($33 million)

Yes: 72.96%

No: 27.04%

• Carteret County:

Local sales and use tax referendum (quarter-cent increase)

Yes: 40.32%

No: 59.68%

Carteret County School bond referendum ($42 million)

Yes: 72.01%

No: 27.99%

Town of Cape Carteret public improvement bond referendum ($1.2 million)

Yes: 48.50%

No: 51.50%

• Caswell County:

Caswell County zoning regulations ordinance

Yes: 47.73%

No: 52.27%

• Chowan County:

Local sales and use tax referendum (quarter-cent increase)

Yes: 47.51%

No: 52.49%

• Columbus County:

Town of Lake Waccamaw Malt Beverage Election

Yes: 65.07%

No: 34.93%

Town of Lake Waccamaw Unfortified Wine Election

Yes: 64.27%

No: 35.73%

Town of Lake Waccamaw Mixed Beverage Election

Yes: 64.28%

No: 35.72%

Columbus County Property Tax For Rescue Services

Yes: 34.36%

No: 65.64%

• Duplin County:

Liberty Hall Fire District Fire Tax Election 

Yes: 55.78%

No: 44.22%

• Gaston County:

City of Cherryville bonds for downtown improvements ($3.3 million)

Yes: 56.23%

No: 43.77%

City of Cherryville bonds for water system improvements ($3.6 million)

Yes: 73.89%

No: 26.11%

City of Cherryville bonds for sewer system improvements ($1.8 million)

Yes: 74.02%

No: 25.98%

• Guilford County:

Local sales and use tax referendum (Authorizes the county to increase the sales tax rate by 0.25%, increasing the total sales tax rate in the county — state and local combined — from 6.75% to 7%)

Yes: 33.06%

No: 66.94%

School bond referendum (Authorizes the county to issue up to $300 million in bonds for school facilities and to levy property taxes to repay the debt.)

Yes: 72.50%

No: 27.50%

• Halifax County:

City of Roanoke Rapids property tax referendum

Yes: 62.38%

No: 37.62%

• Jackson County: 

$20 million bond for indoor pool facilities

Yes: 51.41%

No: 48.59%

• Lee County:

Lee County-Township of Deep River malt beverage election

Yes: 65.49%

No: 34.51%

Lee County-Township of Deep River unfortified wine election

Yes: 64.42%

No: 35.58%

Lee County-Township of Pocket malt beverage election

Yes: 63.92%

No: 36.08%

Lee County-Township of Pocket unfortified wine election

Yes: 64.39%

No: 35.61%

Lee County Parks and Recreation bond referendum ($25 million)

Yes: 58.53%

No: 41.47%

• Mecklenburg County:

Charlotte housing bond referendum (authorizes up to $50 million in bonds for housing projects and taxes to repay the debt.)

Yes: 77.11%

No: 22.89%

Charlotte neighborhood improvement bond referendum (authorizes up to $44.5 million in bonds for neighborhood infrastructure projects and taxes to repay the debt.)

Yes: 78.82%

No: 21.18%

Charlotte transportation bond referendum (authorizes up to $102.732 million in bonds for transportation projects and taxes to repay the debt.)

Yes: 77.43%

No: 22.57%

• Nash County:

Town of Spring Hope mixed beverage election

Yes: 69.52%

No: 30.48%

• Northampton County:

Town of Gaston property tax for fire protection services referendum

Yes: 51.77%

No: 48.23%

• Randolph County:

City of Trinity malt beverage election — off premises

Yes: 57.35%

No: 42.65%

City of Trinity malt beverage election — hotels, etc.

Yes: 62.04%

No: 37.96%

City of Trinity unfortified wine election — on premises 

Yes: 60.60%

No: 39.40%

City of Trinity unfortified wine election — off premises

Yes: 57.07%

No: 42.93%

City of Trinity mixed beverage election

Yes: 62.70%

No: 37.30%

• Union County:

Village of Marvin charter amendment referendum 1 (Changing the Village of Marvin form of government from a Mayor-Council to a Council-Manager.)

Yes: 52.78%

No: 47.22%

Village of Marvin charter amendment referendum 2 (Allows the mayor of the Village of Marvin to vote on ordinances.)

Yes: 49.31%

No: 50.69%

• Wake County:

Raleigh housing bond referendum (Authorizes up to $80 million in bonds for housing projects and taxes to repay the debt.)

Yes: 71.73%

No: 28.27%

• Yadkin County:

Local sales and use tax referendum (quarter-cent increase)

Yes: 39.06%

No: 60.94%