Woodstock, Vt. -
Sitting along the green in Woodstock one of Vermont's oldest active courthouses.
"This is a prominent structure for county government," said Windsor County Assistant Judge Jack Anderson.
It's been used for more than 150 years and some who work there say the facility is showing its age.
"There just is no easy way up to the 2nd floor," said Windsor County Assistant Judge David Singer.
To get to the only courtroom you must climb more than 20 stairs.
As for security, there's just one guard, with a limited amount of tools.
"We have a wand, and that's it," said Singer.
Right now if something happens in the front of the courthouse, the only way out is everyone would have to come through the judge's chambers, up stairs, through a window, to a fire escape that's on the 2nd floor which was built nearly 80 years ago.
Singer and Anderson have put together a proposal that would add an elevator, second door and metal detector.
But the $2-million dollar plan needs approval from county voters on Town Meeting Day.
To give you an idea how much it would increase taxes, a person with a $200,000 dollar property would pay $5-dollars more a year, for a decade, for a total of $50 dollars.
Money the judges say the facility needs or the historic building may not be used at all.
"I would imagine this would become somewhat of a white elephant to the Town of Woodstock and I'm not sure what its fate would be," said Anderson.
The ballot question needs a majority in order to pass.
If it does, construction would begin this summer.
They would have to close the facility while the improvements happen, but the court is looking for options.
The facility would reopen by fall of 2014.
