Butler County Commissioner Jim Eckstein on Wednesday again accused county officials of trying to meet in secret to discuss where to allocate state Act 13 Marcellus Shale natural gas impact fees.

On Monday, Eckstein accused his colleagues of holding a private meeting last year to discuss allocating the funds and of attempting to hold a private meeting on the same subject on April 9. The meeting this year was canceled.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, at the time said the meeting last year and the one scheduled for this year were informational meetings where no deliberations would take place.

Eckstein reiterated his accusation at Wednesday’s commissioners meeting. He also said that impact fee money was included in the current county budget, but it appeared to him that roughly $500,000 was added after the fact, which he was concerned about.

He criticized some of the places where the money was allocated, and said he would like to see that money go to reduction of the county’s debt, saying residents could see a smaller tax bill.

“It’s the right issue at the right time,” Eckstein said.

He said that county Controller Ben Holland is on board with his plan.

Holland in an interview said that he agrees with Eckstein that the money should go to debt reduction.

He said that there is roughly $750,000 of impact fees left that were not spent over the past few years in a fund balance. He anticipates that the county will receive $1.5 million in impact fees for 2015, which will add up to about $2.2 million total.

The county has about $6.2 million in a 2006 bond series, and will be eligible to pay that series off in 2016. Holland said that the county is saving $4 million right now to help pay bonds off. By adding the expected $2.2 million to the $4 million, Holland said the county would be able to pay the bonds off in full.

“That would be my recommendation to the board,” Holland said.

He said he was considering presenting this to the commissioners at the Wednesday meeting, but said he was at the Pennsylvania State Association of County Controllers conference in State College.

But he said he disagreed with Eckstein that the $500,000 is cause for worry, saying that it appears to be acting as a contingency fund that the county does not intend to spend at this time.

McCarrier said much of what Eckstein said was not true.

“We do not hold secret meetings,” McCarrier said.

Most of the $1.6 million in impact fee money has been allocated for emergency services, including $1 million earmarked for a future 911 radio upgrade.

McCarrier said that the 911 upgrade could cost up to $10 million. He also said that a lot of the money has been set aside to reduce future debt, which would not result in a tax decrease, but would not result in a tax increase either.

He said that is exactly what Eckstein is asking for.