The Butler County commissioners should have given the public the opportunity to attend an important meeting Thursday dealing with the new prison project.

The new facility isn't an exclusive endeavor of the commissioners and several other county officials. County taxpayers present and future have a huge financial stake in the $30 million to $40 million — or higher — prison price tag; they have a right to know what is or isn't happening regarding the project.

And, unfortunately, much isn't happening according to the timetable originally established. Structural steel for the prison is late in arriving, and apparently county officials haven't been given a firm arrival date.

The situation has put the original Oct. 13, 2007, completion date in jeopardy. Also, the date for completion of "primary construction" — Sept. 27, 2007 — also is likely not to be met.

Instead of the county commissioners opting for a public meeting Thursday to put the entire situation before the public, the county officials opted for what some people might regard as a face-saving private session that kept under wraps any uncomfortable information that might have been forthcoming.

County solicitor Julie Graham attempted to explain the closed-to-the-public session with the excuse that the meeting dealt with the county's bond claim against A.G. Cullen of Pittsburgh, the project's general contractor, which she described as potential litigation.

However, any specific discussion dealing with litigation could have been done during an executive session as part of the overall meeting. The general discussion dealing with the project delay should have been open to the public.

Attending the meeting, in addition to the commissioners, were William O'Donnell, county chief clerk, and representatives of Cullen; Cullen's bonding company, Travelers; Amthor Steel of Erie, which is responsible for providing the structural steel; and Massaro Corp., the project manager.

Meanwhile, it's puzzling why Controller Jack McMillin, the county's fiscal watchdog, like the general public, wasn't invited to the meeting.

Some people familiar with county government might be thinking that McMillin's absence might have been prompted by the controller's frequent criticism of the commissioners' decision making.

Like the public, McMillin should have been given the opportunity to attend.

Those hired by the county to ensure that the project proceeds smoothly shouldn't have been accorded the privilege of not having to meet face to face with the public. Delays could have financial implications for the county and its taxpayers that have not yet been identified.

Likewise, the scope of the snafu makes the issue public. This is not a matter of a routine change order involving a couple of hundred or a couple of thousand dollars that can be handled administratively and then formally authorized at a commissioners meeting.

The county already has paid Cullen nearly $802,000; the taxpayers have a right to know what the county got for the money.

To their credit, the commissioners voted to withhold the July payment to the company and should pay no additional money until answers and the arrival of steel justify it.

The commissioners rightly have denied a construction extension. Now the county will have to await the results of a contractors' meeting, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, to assess whether lost time can be made up.

At last week's meeting, other than blaming scheduling issues and an issue with the prison drawings, no one provided a specific reason why the delivery of steel has been delayed.

As troubling as the project delay, equally troubling is the commissioners' decision to opt for secrecy on this serious matter. County government ought to be transparent.

Prisoners should be kept behind locked doors — not information that qualifies under the public's right to know.