The Butler County salary board cut 26 vacant jobs Wednesday.

That total includes temporary jobs, part-time posts and two interns.

Among the full-time jobs eliminated were an administrative assistant post in the commissioners office paying $45,576 annually, a custodial worker earning $35,497 annually and a human resources clerk at $37,947.

According to county Controller Ben Holland’s office, the cuts freed up $627,484 in the budget.

However, some of the posts were funded by grants.

Holland, who sits on the salary board with the three county commissioners, stressed there is no actual savings since the posts were vacant, but the move brings the budget closer to actual numbers.

The cuts are part of the county’s plan to eliminate jobs through attrition.

While the salary board pruned posts from the budget this week, it may spend some money later this year.

The board may give the county’s roughly 120 nonunion workers a one-time payment to make up for a lack of a pay hike this year.

Commissioner Leslie Osche, board chairman, said the salary board may consider giving workers a lump payment later this year.

She said the payment would depend on how county finances look at that time.

Historically, nonunion employees have received what the county terms a cost-of-living adjustment.

Nonunion employees received a 2 percent COLA in 2015.

In recent years, the nonunion COLA was lower than union-mandated pay hikes.

Osche credited nonunion staff for helping trim the 2016 budget.

Holland agreed the salary board could consider giving workers a “stipend” if feasible.

“I agree let’s look at where you’re at,” he said in an interview. “It doesn’t affect the base salary.”