BUTLER TWP — The Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is running slightly under its budgeted deficit for 2011.

According to Sunnyview records, the Butler County-owned nursing home lost a total of $214,863 for the first six months of the year.

The budgeted loss for that same period was $228,177, a $13,314 difference.

Bill Kepple, Sunnyview fiscal director, cited various reasons why some line items were lower than budgeted.

Administration costs were only $533,087, more than $42,000 less than anticipated.

Kepple said the liability insurance and smaller line items under administration cost less than expected.

Maintenance costs of $411,036 were lower than the budgeted $499,422. Kepple said some of the savings was due to having more efficient air conditioning units, which were installed during renovations a couple years ago.

County Commissioner Jim Lokhaiser said in an interview Sunnyview’s staff deserves credit for controlling costs.

“I for one think they’ve done a marvelous job in finding what needed cut and what to do,” he said. From 2003 through 2009, Sunnyview’s deficit ran as high as $1 million in some years.

For 2010, the nursing home showed a net profit of $196,030. Sunnyview budgeted a deficit for 2011 knowing a one-time infusion of state funds would not be repeated this year.

However, county and Sunnyview officials attribute various cuts, such as outsourcing the laundry department, for keeping the loss from reaching $1 million again.

Although Sunnyview has a net loss, it has an operational profit.

From January through June, the income from operations was $113,306.

However, the county assesses other costs to the Sunnyview budget, which total $328,168 for the same six-month span.

Among the $187,500 for indirect costs are portions of government center salaries, including the county solicitor and personnel department.