More agencies under contract to Butler County Human Services have come to the department asking for money — money that it would have if not for the lack of a state budget.

Joyce Ainsworth, human services director, said about 13 or 14 of the 100 agencies that serve about 20,000 clients of the county have come forward for funding help.

“I expected more at this point,” Ainsworth said.

In Harrisburg, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature have not been able to agree on a state budget. July 1 was the deadline to have a spending plan in place.

Ainsworth declined to name the agencies asking for money, but said they are smaller agencies that cannot get large lines of credit or develop large reserves.

For a while, the department was using the small amount of reserve money from last year to help the agencies. However, that money ran out at the beginning of the month and the department is using money from the county’s general fund.

“We’ve already started tapping into the general fund,” Ainsworth said.

She could not say how much general fund money has been used, saying that an analysis has not taken place yet.

The department told its contractors earlier this year to seek lines of credit or use their reserves to stay in operation.

When the contractors are no longer able to use their reserves or have maxed out their credit, they have been told to contact the department to discuss using county money temporarily.

When the state passes a budget and the state money comes flowing again, the department will repay the county.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said the county cannot front money for human services for too long.

“We can’t afford to,” McCarrier said.

However, he said a cutoff date or monetary amount has not been set. He said the county still is hopeful that a deal will be cut in Harrisburg before having to mark a date down.

McCarrier said it is sad that the state has all of the money, but is putting a hardship on counties because of “stubbornness.” He blamed the bulk of it on Wolf.

“He’s not willing to compromise,” McCarrier said.

Ainsworth said she is getting less optimistic about Harrisburg passing a budget soon.

“I’m getting increasingly nervous. I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ainsworth said.