---
title: "Outer Banks, N.C., voters to weigh quarter-cent parks sales tax"
url: https://www.hereobx.com/2026/10/08/dare-county-quarter-cent-sales-tax-referendum-parks/
date: 2026-10-08T09:26:55+00:00
modified: 2026-10-08T09:26:55+00:00
author: "Jeannette Wolf"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Outer Banks"
attribution: "HERE Outer Banks"
---

# Outer Banks, N.C., voters to weigh quarter-cent parks sales tax

*Source: [HERE Outer Banks](https://www.hereobx.com/2026/10/08/dare-county-quarter-cent-sales-tax-referendum-parks/) — October 8, 2026 by Jeannette Wolf*

MANTEO, N.C. — Voters across the Outer Banks, N.C., will decide on Nov. 3 whether Dare County should add a quarter-cent to its sales tax to pay for parks and recreation projects, with the last of three scheduled county information meetings on the measure set for Wednesday night in Kill Devil Hills.

The county scheduled three community meetings, one in each of its Parks and Recreation divisions: Monday, Oct. 5, at the Fessenden Center in Buxton for Hatteras Island; Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Lions Club Center in Manteo for Roanoke Island and the mainland; and Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Dare County Youth Center in Kill Devil Hills for the northern beaches.

Dare County combined sales tax is 6.75% today. If voters approve the referendum, the rate would rise to 7.0%, an increase of one-quarter of a penny on the dollar. The county estimates the change would bring in about $6.1 million a year.

That money would be dedicated to a $56.9 million Parks and Recreation plan covering 2025 through 2035. The plan, developed by McGill Associates, grew out of a countywide recreation assessment and community input, and it calls for improvements, renovations and expansions to county parks facilities and fields for residents of all ages, from youth and teens to older adults.

County officials say the scope and cost of those needs are beyond what the normal budgeting process can cover, which is why they are asking voters for a dedicated funding source.

Groceries, gasoline, automobiles and prescriptions would be exempt from the increase. The county estimates the added cost at about $14 a year for an individual and $22 a year for a family.

The question will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. The county has posted answers to frequently asked questions about the referendum on its website for residents who could not attend one of the meetings.