Butler County commissioners on Wednesday voted to allow the withdrawal of $220,000 from operating reserves to counteract a lack of state money.

Last month, the commissioners voted to be able to withdraw up to $1 million from the reserves. This second vote gives the commissioners access to the entire operating reserve fund.

Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican legislators have not been able to agree on a 2015-2016 state budget, and without that plan in place, counties have received no money from the state.

At the end of November, the county had $9 million in its general fund but about $12 million in expenses to pay by the end of the year.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein said he disagrees that the county's financial state is entirely due to the state budget.

“It's just a small part of it,” Eckstein said, saying that the main problem is with the county's spending habits.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, disagreed with Eckstein. He said that the county has had to front $1.3 million that the state normally would give to Children and Youth Services, and said that court services is expecting $400,000 from the state that will not be paid until the state budget is passed.

McCarrier said the state owes $10 million to the county.

“It has definitely had an effect on our general fund,” McCarrier said.

Eckstein said he does agree with McCarrier that the way the state is behaving is “outlandish,” saying it is wrong that the counties are not getting state money to fund programs for needy and vulnerable people.

“This should never happen again,” Eckstein said about the state impasse.

Commissioners also:

• Heard from Itzi Meztli of Slippery Rock, who spoke about the county using state impact fees on natural gas to help get the county through the state budget impasse. He said there are 13 uses for this money, and just putting that money into the county general fund is in “direct violation” of state regulations.

He blamed the issues on chief clerk Amy Wilson, and asked for her resignation immediately. After the meeting, Wilson said she had no comment.

Meztli said he sent a letter to state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale asking for an investigation.

McCarrier said the county is not doing anything illegal, and said the gas impact fees will be used for those 13 reasons.

“This money will be spent on the allowed uses,” McCarrier said.

Eckstein said that the impact fees should not be used for plugging budget gaps, and said he did not think the legislators who passed the act thought those fees would be used for this reason.

• Approved a $7.5 million Tax Anticipation Note and an $8 million Revenue Anticipation Note from NexTier Bank. The rate for the tax note is 0.75 percent and the rate for the revenue note is 1.15 percent.

“That is a fantastic rate,” McCarrier said.

• Approved the nomination of Joseph Kubit of Cabot to replace county Commissioner-Elect Kim Geyer on the Butler County Community College board of trustees. Geyer will become the ex officio for the 2016 board.

• Approved two bids for the Hays Bridge Project in Adams Township. The bid for the abutment system is $44,026 from Mack Industries of Ohio. The bid for steel beams is $57,825 from Quality Bridge and Fabrication of West Middlesex. The narrow bridge is off Three Degree Road.

• Set the county meeting schedule for 2016. Wilson said that the commissioner's current agenda setting meeting, which is on the Monday before the voting meeting on Wednesday, next year will take place one week before the voting meeting. She said this is to allow for more time to research issues before voting.