After years of long drives and courtroom musical chairs across the county, Tracy is finally on track to get its own courthouse back. The latest state budget sets aside early planning money for the New Tracy Courthouse project, a move local leaders on Monday framed as the first real step toward restoring court services to the city.
The old courthouse complex shut down in 2011, leaving south-county residents trekking to Stockton, Manteca and Lodi for everything from jury duty to basic hearings. It has been more than 15 years of that routine, and for many in Tracy, the budget news feels like a long-delayed course correction.
Budget Move Brings Planning Money
The 2026–27 state budget includes $3.503 million in one-time General Fund support for the Performance Criteria phase of the New Tracy Courthouse project, according to SB 111. Legislative language also sets aside roughly $65.85 million for the design-build phase, a crucial pot of money that would carry the project from paper plans to actual construction, per SB 111…