Now that March has ended and about 500 Butler County union workers are not working under new contracts, the county commissioners are poised to make cuts to the 2009 county budget.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton, board chairman, said Monday the budget will be reduced soon.

"We are going to step up and make adjustments in the next quarter," he said.

Pinkerton said the cuts must occur to offset the loss incurred by the 500 employees not contributing to their health care costs, which was included in the county's contract offers.

"We won't be able to pay our bills," he said.

He previously said the most likely way to reduce costs would be to eliminate jobs.

The county projects a $500,000 deficit in the $186 million budget without the 500 workers in the government center, the courthouse and Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center having 1.5 percent of their salaries deducted from their paychecks for health care.

Lori Altman, county personnel director, said the county already lost $150,000 through March.

Two divisions of the Service Employees International Union represent the affected workers, whose contracts expired Nov. 30.

Kevin Hefty, vice president of long term care for SEIU Healthcare, who represents Sunnyview workers, said Friday the remaining county workers are waiting for the results of binding arbitration between the county and court-related workers, who are not permitted to strike, before considering what to do next.

The arbitration hearing is May 7, but there is no deadline for a decision.

Sunnyview workers on Thursday decided to not vote separately from other bargaining units.