Budgeting isn't an exact science. That's why units of government often must approve budget transfers during the course of a fiscal year to accommodate unanticipated needs.

But the problems with the pharmacy budget at Sunnyview Home - pharmacy was budgeted too low last year - was part of the home's bigger financial problems. County officials found last year that Sunnyview had spent $1 million from savings and was $1.6 million in debt.

While the problem appears to be in the process of being resolved, thanks to the efforts of Dr. William DiCuccio, who was appointed Sunnyview executive in response to problems at the home, the situation shouldn't have occurred at all.

The situation might have been detected sooner or avoided if the county commissioners had paid closer attention to what was happening at the home.

It is not humanly possible for the commissioners to be in complete touch with every minute aspect of the county's operations. However, Sunnyview's problems were of a scope that should have been recognized and acknowledged more quickly.

"This is a problem," DiCuccio responded, when asked by Commissioner Glenn Anderson why pharmacy had been budgeted too low last year. The county cannot afford for it to be a problem any longer.