TRAVIS COUNTY–On Aug. 18, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved placing a $287.3 million bond election on the Nov. 3 ballot. If voters approve it, funds will go toward a new civil and family courts complex in downtown Austin. The court also voted Aug. 11 to lower the project’s overall budget.

The court has been seeking ways to offset construction costs, including parking revenue and selling county-owned property. The existing courthouse was built in the 1930s and the county needs more space for civil and family cases, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said.

“If we are not successful in this proposal we will have to retool and look for other ways to provide the capacity,” she said. “From where I stand today, I don’t see other options that are as effective or as efficient as what we are proposing today.”

There are also plans to develop a separate office tower in the same block along Fourth Street between Guadalupe and Lavaca streets.