Butler County now has the ability to withdraw as much as $1 million from its operating reserve to counteract any possible deficits related to the lack of a state budget.

The county commissioners on Wednesday voted to authorize potential withdrawals.

In Harrisburg, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature have not been able to agree on a 2015-2016 state budget. July 1 was the deadline to have the spending plan in place.

Without a budget, the state funding that pays for much of the human services at the county level is not coming in.

County chief clerk Amy Wilson said this motion only allows the county to withdraw from the reserve. She is not sure if the county even will have to withdraw that money.

But if any is withdrawn, she said it will be repaid once state money starts coming to the county again.

In October, commissioners voted to seek a line of credit to help pay human services contractors.

However, county solicitor Mike English said that the county will not apply for a line of credit, which he said is a difficult process for a municipality. He noted that there are other methods of borrowing, if necessary.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said that the county is doing better than some other counties, saying that some counties have closed their senior centers without state money coming in.

He said having 90 percent of the county’s human services done by outside contractors helps keep the operations running, but he wondered how long those contractors can go without a budget.

McCarrier said the county may be able to get through the year without withdrawing, or without going over $1 million in withdrawals.

“Hopefully,” McCarrier said.

Commissioners also:

• Approved an agreement for the county Redevelopment Authority to apply to the state Department of Community and Economic Development for a $100,000 grant, with a $100,000 match from the county.

Ed Mauk, CEO of the authority, said the money will be used to help people who have accessibility issues and lower incomes to do renovations — such as adding ramps and stairlifts, or modifying bathrooms — on their homes.

McCarrier noted that the county’s matching amount is not from real estate taxes, but from fees from people who used the Recorder of Deeds office.

• Heard from Christina Handley of the Allegheny Aquatic Alliance. She said that the 2015 Connoquenessing Creek cleanup cleaned 58,960 pounds of trash — including 700 tires — from a 15-mile stretch of the creek from Oneida Valley to Renfrew. Since the cleanup project started, she said more than 200,000 pounds of trash have been pulled from the creek.

• Approved exercising the option to extend the county’s lease at the Tier Parking Garage until Dec. 31. Adult Probation is in the garage and eventually will be relocated to the Government Center. Wilson said this extension allows for extra time to renovate the area where adult probation will go.