Wake commissioners have placed three bonds before voters this November: one, for $548 million, for school construction; the second, for $349 million, to renovate and expand Wake Tech; and the third, for $120 million, for greenways and open spaces. The total price tag—about $1 billion—is substantial, and would almost certainly lead to at least modest tax hikes. But the county has pressing needs that must be addressed. These bond referenda are anything but wasteful frivolities. School construction, in particular, is urgent. Less urgent but no less important are improvements to the county’s parks and greenways, which add to the region’s quality of life. And Wake Tech, too, needs help.

Wake County is prosperous and growing because it’s a great place to live and raise kids. It also has a relatively low tax rate, but we can’t focus on the latter at the expense of the former. Vote yes on all three.