Travis County voters will decide in November whether to support efforts to build a new civil and family courts courthouse, which is the ultimate goal of a campaign that kicked off June 22 at the Women’s Community Center of Central Texas on San Antonio Street.

The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a $291.6 million bond proposal to build the new courts complex. If voters approve the funds, the bond would approximately result in a $42 per year tax increase on a $325,000 home, lawyer Martha Dickie, chairwoman of the Travis County Civil and Family Courthouse Focus Committee, said at the news conference.

“That’s about $3.50 [per month]—or the price of the breakfast taco you ate this morning,” she said, adding that despite tax fatigue, the courthouse is a necessary item.

The existing Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe St., was constructed in the 1930s when Travis County’s population was more than 77,000 people. Today the Travis County population exceeds 1 million.

Rodent problems, leaky roofs and other challenges exist at the courthouse, but officials said their primary focus is the safety of county residents and staff who use the courthouse.

More than 200,000 visitors walk through the courthouse doors annually, retired Judge John Dietz said. The county justice system is most expected to grow in the family law areas, which include divorce, child custody and child abuse hearings, he said.

Domestic violence survivors are also among the people who go to the courthouse, said Julia Spann, executive director of local nonprofit SafePlace, which provides services and training to sexual and domestic abuse victims.

The new courthouse will have increased security measures, including holding areas for people who are in custody and safe-rooms for victims of family violence.

“As this courthouse has been planned there have been conversations with folks who work in the domestic violence field as well as women who have been abused to help tell what their experience is and help the designers understand the absolute sheer terror that exists when you are going to have to go to a court proceeding with the person who has so terribly hurt and controlled you,” Spann said.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said the Heman Sweatt location will remain the central and main courthouse for Travis County.

“I don’t believe that there’s any doubt that we need expansion space for civil and family courts. … The least expensive option for the Travis County taxpayer is to build both the family courts complex and a second office tower on the block that we have at Fourth [Street] between Guadalupe and Lavaca,” she said, noting the second tower is not part of the bond proposal and would instead be developed by a private-sector partner as part of a ground lease. That revenue would help to offset the overall cost, Eckhardt said.

The county will need additional office space within the next 20 years, Eckhardt said.

“We’re going to build what we need in the most effective and efficient way that we possibly can for the Travis County taxpayer,” Eckhardt said.