Unless the Butler County commissioners are planning to reduce nonunion county employees’ salaries, in which there would be no loss of revenue for the county’s coffers, the commissioners should not use taxpayers’ money to fund a study of how much the employees in question should be paid.

But that’s exactly what the commissioners plan to do. On Jan. 18, the commissioners authorized seeking proposals from companies to do such a study.

That would be a waste of money, since county salaries should be reasonable based on what the county can afford to pay, not on what some outside entity with few, if any, direct ties to this county’s economy and cost of living might deem appropriate.

Local salaries should not be based on what employees in other counties are paid. Salaries in county government should not be driven by the kind of pressures that are found in teachers’ salaries.

Simply put, salaries in school districts in Butler County should not be modeled upon what teachers and administrators are paid in Allegheny or any other county. Yet that is what has evolved. Arguments about what teachers are being paid elsewhere are mentioned almost every time contract talks get under way in this county.

No doubt similar arguments are heard when county union workers’ contracts are being negotiated, but now this county’s commissioners and county row officers risk expanding such thinking for employees outside of union bargaining.

The fact is, when a person is hired for a nonunion county job, he or she knows what salary the position carries with it and can assume what future raises might be, based on experience.

If that person does not like the pay and benefits, he or she has the option of not accepting the job. And, if after getting the job, he or she feels the salary is too low and fringe benefits are inadequate, the employee has the option of taking his or her talents elsewhere.

But there is no mass exodus from county employment, indicating that pay and benefits are adequate, even if not the most generous.

The commissioners’ action on Jan. 18 was irresponsible from the taxpayers’ standpoint. In effect, the commissioners will be spending money unnecessarily to provide what most likely will be a vehicle for spending even more money unnecessarily.

The study likely will create an opportunity for clamoring by nonunion employees for higher pay, just like many Butler County teachers and administrators argue for more money based on what is being paid in the North Hills, Fox Chapel or Northern Allegheny districts.

As with dissatisfied county employees, dissatisfied teachers also have the option of applying for positions in those and other school systems.

Butler County row officers, who are reported to be in favor of the upcoming study — Treasurer Diane Marburger said during an interview that there is solidarity on that — should be trying to save taxpayers’ money. Instead, they too are pushing for a process that seems destined only to put more financial pressure on the taxpayers than already exists.

Even if the study reaches the conclusion that county nonunion salaries are fair, the county will have wasted the money — however small the amount — for having that message delivered to them.

Wages are set by the county salary board, which comprises the commissioners, controller and the row officer for the salaries being considered.

It’s puzzling that Controller Jack McMillin, the county’s fiscal watchdog, has gotten on board with the study proposal, since he vigorously opposes wasting money — one example being the big pay increase approved in December for the personnel director. Now McMillin has joined the effort to spend money that the county doesn’t need to spend.

County officials have plenty to do without having to waste time, energy — and money — on something so unnecessary.