None of the three Butler County commissioners is an expert on operation of a county nursing home. None of them ever has claimed to be.

But they're faced with a big decision on the future of the local facility, Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Under the 2009 county budget, Sunnyview is projected to record a $1 million loss, and it doesn't take an expert to know that county taxpayers can't continue to be saddled with such losses for very long.

The commissioners are weighing all options regarding the home's future, keeping in mind their primary consideration of protecting the well-being of generally frail people that the facility serves.

With all that in mind, the commissioners on Wednesday opted for the right choice of having a thorough analysis of the nursing faciity conducted to help them make what hopefully will be the correct decision regarding the facility's future.

And, to their credit, that study won't involve a big expenditure for county taxpayers — just $15,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Carbis Walker, the Pittsburgh accounting firm doing the analysis.

Beyond that, a committee appointed by the commissioners will review the analysis and make a recommendation that the commissioners will be under no obligation to accept.

However, it can be expected that a committee of individuals capable of making such a review would have significant clout in terms of the commissioners' utlimate vote. Commissioners not planning to give weight to a committee's recommendation would be foolish to pursue what would be a troubling charade.

County residents who trust the current commissioners' judgment on most issues don't envision anything less on this important matter.

Dale Pinkerton, board of commissioners chairman, used good judgment in making clear on Wednesday that county leaders were keeping an open mind regarding Sunnyview's fate.

Although some statements by Pinkerton in the past have indicated that he might be leaning strongly toward sale of the home — statements brought about at least in part due to the commissioners' frustrations over contract negotiations with Sunnyview employees — Pinkerton said Wednesday that the county is not necessarily looking to sell Sunnyview immediately nor change its management structure.

The Carbis Walker study will cover the options of a possible sale, private sector lease or reorganization. Of course, there's also the possibility of a do-nothing-now option to give the economy time to improve.

The upcoming analysis, which was a recommendation of a budget advisory committee appointed by the commissioners in 2008, probably should have been pursued before now. But the commissioners can be excused for waiting, considering the other issues, such as completion of the new prison, that they've had to deal with since the current board took office in January 2008.

Even with the Carbis Walker analysis in hand, the Sunnyview decision won't be an easy one for the commissioners. They will have to weigh — and balance — the best interests of the home's residents, Sunnyview employees, county taxpayers and the county government's fiscal stability in deciding on which course to pursue.

But without the thorough analysis promised by the Carbis Walker contract, any decision that the commissioners would have made would have been much more ripe for second-guessing.