Westmoreland County is looking to potentially furlough some of its workers in the next two weeks unless a state budget impasse in Harrisburg is broken.

Westmoreland County has not received any state funding since the state budget expired in June, and now county officials say that after waiting for a new budget to be passed, they are going to have to start making temporary cuts.

Last week, county leaders instituted a hiring freeze and halted overtime for county workers. Then on Thursday, county commissioners asked department heads to start making recommendations for temporary furloughs to non-essential staff and to put a plan in place to partially close county parks, all to save money.

"Westmoreland County has essentially exhausted our resources, spending upwards of $31 million in money that is the obligation of the state," Democratic County Commissioner Ted Kopas said. "And in order for us to close those gaps, we have to take some austerity measures that no one likes, they are painful, and they are frankly not good for the community."

Both Democratic and Republican commissioners are asking representatives in Harrisburg to come to an agreement so that the over $300 million from the state that goes into the county's $400 million budget will be restored. 

Big services overseen by the county but that are largely state funded, like aging programs, behavioral health, developmental services, as well as Early Intervention and Children and Youth Services, will carry on. But their vendors may not be paid in a timely manner while this impasse is still ongoing.

"Everybody in the public would agree that public health and public safety are absolutely important things that we should continue," Republican County Commissioner Douglas Chew said. "There is no reason we should stop those services."

Now, if things remain the same in Harrisburg, furlough notices could start going out next week in Westmoreland County, and then those furloughs would start on Oct. 2.