Butler County won’t create new debt to construct a new office building next to the government center.

All three county commissioners support using revenue from the sale of the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to pay for the four-level office building.

Investment 360 of Lakewood, N.J., bought the nursing home for $18 million plus an undetermined amount for the facility’s accounts receivable — unpaid bills for resident care — within a certain time frame.

Although the goal was to receive an additional $2.4 million for Sunnyview, county officials expect the actual number to be significantly less.

County Commissioner Bill McCarrier said the company last week paid nearly $19 million following the closing on the property.

He said there is a possibility the county could get more money from the accounts receivable, depending on what’s collected.

Along with the $12.1 million project to construct a new office building, which includes other work done to the government center and courthouse, the commissioners plan to spend the Sunnyview revenue on building a new Cranberry Township district court.

The cost to build the district court on Marshall Road is less than $1.5 million.

McCarrier proposed the bulk of the money be used to pay for the projects to avoid creating new debt.

“That’s my hope,” he said.

McCarrier also wants to use the money to bolster three dwindling county funds: the unrestricted fund balance, the operating reserve fund and the capital reserve fund.

The unrestricted fund balance, which can be used for any expense, dropped from $3.2 million in 2010 to the current $664,000.

The operating reserve fund has $1.2 million, but can be as high as 10 percent of the general fund budget, which is $60 million for 2014.

The capital reserve fund, which is used for construction and renovation projects, is budgeted for $500,000 this year.

According to McCarrier, the actual amount allocated to each fund would be set by the final sale price for Sunnyview, which has not been determined yet.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton supports McCarrier’s proposed spending plan.

“I feel, all in all, it’s a great proposal,” Pinkerton said. “I would back it.”

Commissioner Jim Eckstein agrees most of the money should be used to pay for the construction projects.

“I’m 100 percent behind spending the Sunnyview money to not have more debt,” Eckstein said.

But he has other ideas about what to do with the remainder.

Eckstein said $3 million should be placed in the county pension fund since some workers retired in the face of the sale and others could follow suit.

“We’re not making it whole,” he said about the pension fund.

McCarrier disagreed there was an urgent need to boost the pension fund, which is 85 percent funded.

“That’s what we’ve been told,” he said, referring to an actuarial study by the Hay Group.

McCarrier said if the county pension fund became 100 percent funded, the state would no longer match contributions made to the fund for human services workers, whose salaries are partially paid by the state.

Pinkerton also said placing additional funds into the pension fund isn’t a necessity.

“Eighty-five percent is really good in comparison to 95 percent of the counties in the state,” he said.

Eckstein also said the county is not accounting for the actual profit culled from the Sunnyview sale, claiming the revenue will be closer to $16 million.

He said whatever amount is gained from the collection of the accounts receivable will be more than offset by outstanding debts — remaining Sunnyview bills the county is responsible for paying — and other expenses.

McCarrier refuted Eckstein’s number, saying there are no additional expenses to deduct from the nearly $19 million already paid.

McCarrier pointed out all of Sunnyview’s expenses are in the 2014 budget.

Eckstein accused McCarrier of not judicially evaluating where the money should be spent and how much will actually be available.

“He got sugar plums dancing in his head about the money,” Eckstein said.

McCarrier would not respond Eckstein’s remarks.

“I have no comment on that,” he said.

Pinkerton said Eckstein’s claim of irresponsible spending is unfounded.

“I don’t understand that,” Pinkerton said. “We’re eliminating debt.”

McCarrier said Eckstein is welcome to offer his own spending proposal.