The probability that state inmates will begin being housed in the new Butler County Prison in about six months has had a positive impact on the county's proposed 2010 budget.

That's good news for now, but the new prison could be the basis for even better news beyond next year.

If that does in fact occur, it will soften the sting county taxpayers have felt since the prison, initially pegged at $30 million to build, ended up as a $43 million project whose total cost still could go up, depending on how a couple of construction-related lawsuits shake out.

Nevertheless, the prison-related financial picture painted last week provides hope that in the end the prison will be a significant moneymaker that will help avert or lessen the amount of tax increases in the future.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton said after a commissioners meeting Wednesday that without the anticipated money from housing state prisoners here, along with a significant reduction in the county's pension fund contribution, the commissioners might have had to increase the real estate tax for next year.

The county estimates a minimum of $500,000 from having state prisoners housed here over the last six months of 2010, although it might be possible to begin bringing state inmates here a couple of months prior to midyear.

It has been estimated that the annual amount to be generated from housing 53 state inmates in Butler would be $1.2 million, while bringing in 159 state prisoners would reap $3.5 million.

It has been estimated that if 150 state inmates would be brought here and 24 full-time corrections officers were added to the prison staff to oversee that additional population, the county still would realize an estimated $2 million annual profit.

The county must strive to make the best use of the prison space that it has available, and a contract with the state is one way of achieving that goal.

While enough space must remain available for fluctuations in the local prison population, having excessive vacant space would be neither in the county government's nor county taxpayers' best interests.

If an agreement actually comes about with the state — and Pinkerton is confident that one will — the county will charge the commonwealth $60 a day per state inmate. It's a reasonable figure both for the county and state.

Pinkerton's confidence is based on the glut of 10,000 prisoners clogging the state prison system.

One of the locally based first steps tied to bringing in state prisoners — advertising for additional corrections officers — was taken Tuesday by the county prison board. The action carries the correct stipulation that no additional officers would be hired until there is an approved contract with the state in place. The county's annual cost to employ 24 additional officers would be between $1.25 million and $1.5 million.

The possibility of reaping a profit from the excess space in the new prison never has been a secret. It was felt from Day One of the project that the local prison would handle overflow from other county prisons; the possible positive state inmate factor was not emphasized at that time, although the possibility nonetheless was recognized.

However, what is shaping up probably exceeds most taxpayers' expectations, and that is good news for taxpayers' wallets — likely beginning in the coming year.

The commissioners are on the right track in aggressively pursuing that source of additional revenue.