Butler city officials should not balk at participating in the state's new Early Intervention Program as a means for trying to avoid financially distressed status. Under distressed status, the city government would relinquish some control in terms of how fiscal problems would be addressed.

But city residents should nevertheless have mixed emotions over how successful the new state program might be. Three points come to mind:

The only city council member attending a meeting about the program was Mayor Leonard Pintell. If the other four council members were excited about the program's potential, it would seem that some would have found a way to attend the meeting - or at least asked that it be scheduled for a time when they could attend. The only other local representative in attendance was Bob Brehm, city clerk, and he does not vote on city issues.

For three years, the city government has been wrestling with a budget crisis, but the council has failed to take tough remedial actions to avert the possibility of a budget deficit, such as by asking the county court for permission to further increase the real estate tax above the allowable rate, scaling back manpower in the police department more than has already been done, and implementing paid parking on Main Street. No matter how much planning, and no matter what a five-year plan identifies under the Early Intervention Program, there must be the will to make that plan work successfully. Past failures raise serious concerns - even doubts - that such a will is possible now, with the current system of government and the same officials in place.

The Early Intervention Program requires the city to pay half of the cost of hiring a consultant for first-year planning. The issue is whether the city has the money to spare to pay its half-share, although the city might be able to avoid some of that financial outlay via in-kind services by local officials.

One optimistic element of the new state program is that a similar program worked in Philadelphia, when Gov. Ed Rendell was mayor of that city. Unfortunately, the program provides for the state to contribute financially to only the first year of planning, so what will happen beyond the first year is less certain than the potential benefits possible during the first year.

Although the program will train municipal officials and some employees to continue the five-year planning effort beyond what is achieved in year one, the question of "will" again becomes paramount to the financial-fix equation. Do officials have the will to make the tough decisions that the city's fiscal correction requires, no matter what opposition those moves spawn?

Butler hasn't reached the point where it is eligible for Act 47, the state's fiscally distressed status. That is the one positive amid the current bad financial news. However, the city is teetering close to it.

Next year will be pivotal in determining whether Act 47 is in the city's future. The success of the Early Intervention effort could provide indications well before the end of 2005.

Pintell said he would discuss the program with the other members of the city council, some of whom see Act 47 as the only salvation.

"I'm willing to try anything that might help," the mayor said.

But when an issue of the magnitude of the city's budget crisis is being discussed, especially with state officials, the other members of the council should not need to be apprised of what was said. They should already know, by virtue of their own attendance.

A big part of the city's troubles in recent years - from finances to condition of streets to courage to make difficult decisions - is that Butler's elected leaders don't place very high on the accomplishments scale.

For the Early Intervention Program to have any chance for success, if it is pursued, that must change markedly.

- J.R.K.