Based on discussion at last Tuesday's Butler County Prison Board meeting, it is clear that the two new county commissioners have a task facing them that they might not have anticipated prior to their swearing-in.

Although, based on news coverage in recent weeks, the new commissioners, Dale Pinkerton and James Lokhaiser, were aware of a problem involving the purchase of a nurse call system for Sunnyview Nursing Home, it was premature for them to realize that a comprehensive look at the county's entire purchasing function would be necessary.

Tuesday's discussion not only cemented the fact that such an examination is necessary; it also confirmed that it is long overdue and that the new commissioners should address it quickly.

That long, hard look also should be endorsed by Commissioner James Kennedy, a holdover from the prior commissioners board.

While the prison board discussed a communications equipment problem at the new prison strikingly similar to what occurred with the Sunnyview nurse call system, it was disclosed that, based on past performance, the county purchasing department's review of proposed contracts not always has met expectations.

"This is nothing new to those of us who have been here awhile," said Judge Tim McCune.

County Controller Jack McMillin agreed, saying, "These problems go back years and years."

There must not be a delay in fixing whatever problems exist in the purchasing process. That should involve a review of the duties and performance of those charged with carrying out purchase functions.

The problem at the prison involves the facility's proposed radio system. As with the nurse call system at Sunnyview, no one from the county bothered to verify, prior to contract approval, that the contract included equipment installation.

Regarding the Sunnyview equipment, which was bought under a "piggyback" contract through the federal government, it didn't, and that created a dilemma for county officials. As for the prison radio system, there was optimism late last week that, despite initial fears to the contrary, the approved contract did in fact include installation.

Hopefully county officials are correct in that optimism.

That contract was a "piggyback" to a state government contract for purchase of such equipment.

Regardless of how the prison situation plays out, reasonable people would have expected that, prior to actually going ahead with each of the "piggybacks," county officials would have understood clearly all aspects of the contract. Why the expectations of reasonable people could not be immediately achieved is a serious issue for the new commissioners board to contemplate and eventually act upon.

In addition to the purchasing department, it was the duty of county Solicitor Julie Graham to be totally familiar with all provisions of both contracts. Apparently she wasn't, which explains part of what allowed both purchase issues to happen and consume so much time trying to clarify and resolve.

Some taxpayers might feel comfortable referring to the two situations as debacles.

No county board of commissioners can divorce itself from its county's purchase function. And, no board of commissioners can divorce itself from its responsibility to ensure that all aspects of the purchase function are carried out without avoidable glitches.

Obviously, that hasn't happened numerous times in this county government's past, if Tuesday's recollections are correct, and it's time for those failings to be vigorously addressed to avoid future, possibly costly, problems.