The Butler County commissioners are suing the county controller so a $1.2 million appropriation will be released to Butler County Community College.

The commissioners today unanimously approved filing legal action to get a court order directing Controller Jack McMillin to release the money.

County solicitor Julie Graham said McMillin exceeded the 30-day time limit to release a check for a voucher.

After the commissioners subsequently requested the check's release, McMillin again denied the release of the funding, which is part of the total $4.9 million allotted in the 2010 county budget.

"The next step in the process is to obtain an order of court," Graham said. "Unfortunately, it's come to this."

McMillin defended his stance, saying the college has not provided adequate documentation of an auditable indirect cost plan.

He said today this plan would list all costs associated with the college's satellite campuses in Lawrence and Mercer counties.

"I did not receive a response or even any acknowledgment from the college's business office," McMillin said.