Did you hear that clunky sound on Thursday evening? That was Butler city government kicking the financial can down the road.

Council members said much but did nothing about the prospect of running out of money about four months from now — meaning, the city could be broke and unable to pay its bills, even its own payroll, for the final six weeks of 2016.

Apparently $8.7 million — the amount of the current budget — can be stretched only so far.

Give credit where it’s due: nobody on city council is talking about a tax increase and neither is Mayor Tom Donaldson.

That’s refreshing, particularly when viewed against a backdrop of a county government and school district that each included a 3 mill property tax increase in their current fiscal year.

Instead, the dialogue has focused on cutting expenses or generating revenue from income sources other than property tax.

Mayor Donaldson has proposed realigning the firefighter duty shifts from four four-man shifts to five three-man shifts. Some other fire departments, including New Castle, have transitioned to three-man shifts, Donaldson has said.

While there’s no sacrifice in effective response because of improved electronic communications and other technology, the savings in payroll could be significant, the mayor said.

Members of council, most notably Safety Committee Director Kathy Kline, and Michael Walter, disagree about the savings part. They want to wait and negotiate a new contract with the firefighters when their current contract expires next year.

Kline and Walter expect to take out a state loan or a tax anticipation note earlier than usual to cover the November/December shortfall. A tax anticipation note is money municipalities borrow against the tax revenue they expect to collect later in their fiscal year.

The problem with that strategy is that it spends 2107 money to finish 2016 — and with nothing else changed in the equation, it will leave the city in an even bigger hole a year later.

Deepening the fiscal hole is not a good option.

Neither is failing to make payroll.

And neither is furloughs for firefighters, police officers or public works employees — not with winter approaching.

There are four months between now and mid-November when, by Councilman Walter’s estimate the money will run out. That’s eight regular council meetings and as many special sessions as is necessary to solve the issue.

That’s eight sessions to stop talking about the problem and start gravitating toward solutions.

Kicking the can must stop when the road comes to an end. All talk and no action until the last dollar dries up is the least favorable option of all.