Smith county says new courthouse will not be on ballot this year

TYLER — Smith County commissioners say a ballot measure for a new county courthouse will not happen this year. However, that did not stop the court from having a front row seat to architectural designs presented in session Tuesday. Judge Moran reminded the court where things were just a few months ago saying, “We had engaged in a whole lot of planning so that we could present it in April leading up to a November ballot election, bond election, because ultimately we want the people of Smith County to make this decision. And then, in the middle of March, we got hit with the pandemic and literally it was the week before the April 9th event, where we were going to present it to the public, that the world seemed to shut down.”

The plan calls for a seven-story building with more than 230,000 square feet. Costs for the structure, including a parking garage, would be approximately $140 million. Officials say the court felt that putting such an expensive issue on the ballot this year would be ill-advised, since so many east Texas families have faced such a heavy financial strain from the pandemic.