Although prospective buyers of the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center have submitted offers, Butler County officials are being tight-lipped about how many there are, which companies did so and how much they’re offering.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said the process being handled by the Chicago firm Marcus & Millichap requires all the information be kept confidential for now.

“That’s the way it’s done,” McCarrier said.

He confirmed the companies were asked to submit final proposals today. The initial offers could not be lower than $13.5 million.

McCarrier said the county may not sell to the company with the deepest pockets.

“It doesn’t have to be the highest bidder,” he said.

McCarrier explained the companies will be vetted, including visits to facilities they already operate.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein, who opposes the privatization of Sunnyview, said the selection process should not be kept out of the public eye.

“I find it appalling they want to do that,” Eckstein said. “It sets a wrong precedent.”

County solicitor Mike English said the county is not obligated to disclose any information about the potential buyers at this time.

However, Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, said two or more commissioners cannot discuss the offers behind closed doors.

“They can look at them individually,” Melewsky said.

She explained it’s unlike the exemption government entities are allowed under state law for discussing real estate purchases — deliberating the offers would be a violation of the state Sunshine Act.

County officials maintain Sunnyview should be sold due to its annual deficit.

The county projects the nursing home’s deficit for 2014 to be more than $1 million, but $205,000 of that total is listed under building depreciation.

Consequently, the county would subsidize the remaining $838,452 of Sunnyview’s total $20 million budget.

While the commissioners disagree on selling the nursing home, they did agree Dec. 4 to hire Integra Realty Resources of Sewickley to appraise it.

At the same meeting, the commissioners also hired the Hay Group of Philadelphia to provide an actuarial study of Sunnyview.

The study will determine how much money from a sale needs to be placed in the county pension fund to cover possible retirements.