Butler County Commissioner Jim Eckstein on Wednesday wanted to change the county requisition policy so that all expenses amounting to $1,000 or more would come before the board as separate votes.

However, commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton disagreed that step was necessary.

“I think we have a good process in place as it is now,” McCarrier said.

He pointed out budgeted expenses above that threshold already are reviewed by the purchasing department and chief county clerk Bill O’Donnell.

“He checks it again,” McCarrier said.

Eckstein argued that process is inadequate because the commissioners should be warned that large expenses, even if budgeted, are about to be incurred.

“The people elected me to office to go over expenditures,” he said.

Pinkerton sided with McCarrier, saying budgeted items don’t need to be approved individually.

“If Bill O’Donnell feels it’s a problem, he brings it to the commissioners anyway,” Pinkerton said.

County Controller Jack McMillin said there weren’t any problems with the system, which included reviews by his office.

Eckstein highlighted several expenses as examples of items that should be separated out. He cited the purchase of three vehicles and what he called an $18,000 alarm system.

Pinkerton said there wasn’t such an expense.

Eckstein later explained he was referring to four invoices totaling more than $18,000, which deal with alarm system installations in various county offices.

He listed the three vehicle purchases as a $28,455 Chevrolet Cargo Van for the sheriff’s office, a $23,650 SUV for the county motor pool and a $25,900 truck for the bridge crew.

Eckstein said he was aware of the van, which was discussed at two public meetings, but argued with O’Donnell that there hadn’t been an authorization to buy it.

O’Donnell said Eckstein is seen voting for the van on a recording of the April 18 meeting. But Eckstein still insisted a vote wasn’t taken.

County solicitor Julie Graham said over several meetings there was an initial vote to buy the van in a lease-to-purchase contract, a subsequent tabling of the purchase because of concerns about the interest rate then a decision made that another vote was unnecessary to buy the vehicle outright.

Eckstein apologized to his constituents for not realizing sooner how the requisition system worked.

“I am embarrassed that I didn’t recognizethis problem earlier, but these large unexplained checks only started coming through in the last few weeks,” he said.

Eckstein said just because an expense is budgeted, doesn’t mean the money needs spent.

He suggested any money saved could go to human services, which faces significant state funding cuts, and Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which has a net deficit.

Eckstein said he could not yet make the donation to Sunnyview he pledged during the 2011 campaign because he needed the money to pay for his defense against two defamation lawsuits filed against him.

“Due to the litigation, I informed them I would make it later in the year,” he said.

Although Eckstein didn’t receive any support to alter the voting policy, he is pleased McMillin’s office now is keeping him up to speed on major purchases.

“We came up with a protocol to keep me informed,” Eckstein said.