Butler County may lay off workers due to the sale of the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said at the commissioners meeting Wednesday that nothing has been decided yet, but layoffs could occur.

“I believe there will be,” McCarrier said. “At least, that’s my opinion.”

Part of Sunnyview’s annual deficit, which caused county officials to sell the nursing home, are the indirect costs the county assesses to it.

From January through November of last year, the county charged Sunnyview $286,000 in indirect costs. Along with staff in the commissioners’ office, employee hours in the controller’s office and human resources department are spent dealing with Sunnyview issues.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton agreed layoffs are an option.

“There is the possibility that is going to happen,” Pinkerton said in an interview.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein could not be reached for comment.

During the public comment at the meeting, Slippery Rock Councilman Itzi Meztli told the commissioners how to spend most of the $20.4 million that Investment 360 of Lakewood, N.J., is paying for Sunnyview.

Meztli said that revenue should be used to fully fund construction of a new office building.

The county is seeking bids on a $14 million project to erect a four-level building adjacent to the government center, to replace three air conditioning units on the government center roof and to do work on the government center and courthouse roofs.

McCarrier said that may not be the best way to use the money, citing other needs such as bolstering the county pension fund.

“We’re still not 100 percent funded,” he said of the fund.

The county is past the 80 percent funded mark, which is considered healthy.

Pinkerton agreed the county can’t arbitrarily designate where the money goes.

“We have to do it in the right manner,” he said.

Eckstein had another theory as to why the money should not be spent on the $14 million construction project.

“We’re on a spending spree,” he said.

When Eckstein continued to talk about ways the county is draining its coffers, such as hiring new workers, McCarrier ruled him out of order.

However, Eckstein was undaunted by McCarrier’s attempt to control the meeting.

“Keep banging the gavel,” Eckstein said. “Throw me out of the room.”

McCarrier explained Eckstein was no longer directly responding to Meztli’s comments so he could not continue speaking.

Eckstein took offense at McCarrier limiting his response.

“I don’t need you to tell me when I can respond,” Eckstein said.

McCarrier expressed frustration following the exchange.

“What a jerk,” McCarrier said.

After Eckstein ensured everyone knew the word jerk was just used, he had a question for McCarrier.

“Do you mean me or yourself?” Eckstein asked.

McCarrier did not reply.

He later refuted Eckstein’s comments about spending.

“We’re not out of money,” McCarrier said.

Eckstein attempted to clarify his earlier comments by saying he meant the money the county would save by not subsidizing Sunnyview’s deficit, which he said would be $700,000, was already spent.

Although a board majority voted last month to sell Sunnyview, the deal can’t be finalized until the state Department of Health approves the transfer in ownership. The closing date has not yet been set.

Pinkerton said during the interview that people are premature in second- guessing what the county should do with the sale proceeds.

“We’re talking about money we don’t have,” he said.