IRONTON -- The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department will receive about $68,000 from county coffers and county officials plan to transfer another $110,000 to get the department through the current fiscal year.

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners agreed to transfer $68,000 to the sheriff's department during a meeting Thursday in Ironton.

Commissioner Jason Stephens said the county is transferring part of the money it is getting from the sale of five Southeastern Ohio Emergency Medical Services buildings to the sheriff's department. Once the county gets the remainder of the money for the sale, the county will transfer another $110,000 to the sheriff's department, Stephens said.

"It will help us get through the year," Sheriff Jeff Lawless said of the commissioners action.

The board agreed to sell the ambulance buildings earlier this year to the Lawrence County Port Authority for $589,000. The county received a $150,000 down payment on the sale this week and budgeted that money for the sheriff's department and other agencies and departments, Stephens said.

The sale will allow the county to finish out the budget year with surplus funds, he said.

"2010 will be a very difficult year," Stephens said. "It will be worse than 2009."

Due to state budget cuts have already led to layoffs at the county Department of Job and Family Services earlier this year. The cutbacks have impacted county governments across Ohio. Scioto County earlier this year was placed on fiscal emergency when it didn't have money to pay all its bills. Meanwhile, Jackson County is talking about a 46 percent budget cut next year, Stephens said.

The board also agreed to move next week's meeting from Thursday to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

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