Douglas County commissioners aren’t about to write a $1 million check for nursing programs in public schools — at least not without a detailed study of the plan’s necessity and its communitywide implications.

And certainly not without a formal request from school districts to help bail them out.

“We have a $40 million budget,” said Bob Johnson, chairman of the Douglas County Commission. “The (Lawrence) school district has a budget of $80 million. What’s to say that the better use of our $1 million is to give it to the school district?”

And with that, a fragmented County Commission decided Monday to appoint a special committee to study the possibility of providing financial assistance to cash-strapped districts.

Johnson said he would try to meet with superintendents of the Lawrence, Baldwin and Eudora school districts before putting together a suggested list of committee members. The list could be ready in time for consideration during Wednesday’s commission meeting, set to begin at 6:35 p.m. at the County Courthouse, 1100 Mass.

The decision stopped short of the plan advocated by Commissioner Charles Jones, who feared the Lawrence school district would cut its nursing staff to seven from 14 to help bridge a budget gap. Jones wants the county to relieve the pressure by pumping about $1 million into schools through one of two proposals:

l Use county tax revenues to issue grants to districts with students in the county. The districts would use their shares of the money to provide health services.

l Shift school nursing programs into a county program, either in partnership with or controlled by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.

Healing wounds

Either way, Jones said districts hammered by state budget cuts would avoid worse financial wounds by bandaging their budgets with support from county taxpayers.

“I don’t think we can stand by and watch our schools go down the drain,” Jones said.

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But commissioners weren’t buying it. McElhaney, who consistently has argued against any plan or program that would boost property-tax rates, suggested two other options:

l Raise traffic fines, then send the additional money to schools. A $105 speeding ticket, he said, could go to $170.

l Allow liquor stores to be open Sundays, and dedicate the additional tax revenue from alcohol sales for school programs.

Both suggestions died for a lack of viability. Craig Weinaug, county administrator, said increased revenues on traffic violations would go to the state, and tax revenues from Sunday liquor sales — likely to generate only $1,200 for the county in a year — would need to be divided among programs and spending plans as mandated by state law.

McElhaney then repeated his earlier pledge: No new taxes, especially not to bail out another government.

“Raising taxes is easy,” McElhaney said, “but that’s not the answer.”

Budget warning

With McElhaney and Jones unwilling to go along with the $1 million-for-schools plan — at least not right away — Jones warned his fellow commissioners about coming budget discussions.

Jones and Johnson previously had formed an informal alliance to support a property-tax increase this summer, a pact that would help fill budget gaps opened by state cuts late last year. Money to start construction projects, hire emergency dispatchers and buy materials for road repairs would be restored.

But those commitments all moved onto shaky ground after Jones’ schools plan moved to the back burner.

“A budget that turns its back on public schools, provides subsidies for sprawl and raises taxes is not a budget that I’m going to support,” Jones said, alluding to his longtime distaste for county policies that he says promote unhealthy development at taxpayers’ expense.

Johnson’s response: “That’s not a veiled threat.”

“Not at all,” Jones said.