PHILIPSBURG--Court workers hope to have the aesthetic damage to the Courthouse building repaired soon.

Money was budgeted nearly three years ago to replace decaying wood on the outside of the building, as well as repairing other cosmetic damage the decades-old Courthouse has sustained in recent years. The building is "structurally strong," head of the Court in First Instance Maritza James said.

A recent paint job to the interior has helped staff, but James laments the deteriorating state of the building's exterior. "The inside looks pretty good; it's intact," James told The Daily Herald. "We want [external repairs] to be done since yesterday."

The Central Government had selected a contractor to make the repairs, but it would cost more than the money already allotted, James said. They have requested that Antillean Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba release the balance of the money to start the work. "It's just a matter of waiting," James said.

Jacoba is presently in the Netherlands for debates in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende reserved money for refurbishing the Courthouse, among other projects, during a lengthy visit here a few years ago. The court has to wait for more funds to be released to pay for repairs.

The Courthouse is among the historical buildings on St. Maarten's monument preservation list.