The city of Tracy could be seeing progress toward restoring court services after more than a decade without a working courthouse.
Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy announced this month the 2026–27 state budget includes funding to move the new Tracy courthouse project forward.
The state budget includes $3.5 million in general fund support for the performance criteria phase of the courthouse, Ransom said in a news release. The total project authorization is $65.8 million.
The Tracy courthouse has been closed since Oct. 3, 2011 with the new courthouse set to replace four existing vacant and outdated facilities.
“This new funding shows that we are turning advocacy into action for San Joaquin County,” Ransom said in the news release. “For more than 15 years, Tracy has gone without a working courthouse, forcing South County residents to travel farther, wait longer for court services, and contributing to backlogs at neighboring courts.”
The project completion would bring an approximately 28,000-square-foot, new two-courtroom courthouse that includes secure parking for judicial officers and surface parking spaces with solar power generation capability, planning documents stated.
Ransom said the project would help restore local access to court services, improve safety and accountability and will better serve south county communities.
“I am grateful to the Judicial Council of California and the Budget Committees for working with me to move this project forward and bring court services back to Tracy,” Ransom said.
Tracy Mayor Dan Arriola said in a news release that the courthouse project is “exciting news” for the city and the county.
“Having a courthouse in our community again will make it easier for residents to access essential legal services without having to travel outside the city,” Arriola said.
San Joaquin County Supervisor Robert Rickman, whose District 5 includes Tracy, applauded the funding for the courthouse.
He said the milestone advances the long-awaited project that he believes will restore essential court services to the “rapidly growing” southern position of the county while also delivering important public safety benefits for local law enforcement.
A news release from Rickman’s office stated the supervisor had advocated for the courthouse. His efforts included a formal letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urged support for the project as an “immediate needs” priority.
Rickman said as a retired law enforcement sergeant with decades of experience he knew firsthand how critical it is for law enforcement to remain close to their communities.
“For far too long, the closure of the Tracy Branch Court has forced local officers to travel away from the communities they serve and spend hours waiting in crowded courthouses in Stockton or Manteca,” Rickman said in a statement.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: City of Tracy could see new courthouse after more than a decade
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
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By Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
