Greenville's financial pit has deepened to the point where Mercer County Regional Council of Governments has agreed to run the borough's lockup.

Wednesday evening, Greenville Mayor Cliff Harriger asked COG to take over operations of the local lockup.

"There will be no money left in the borough's budget to run the lockup as of 4 p.m. Friday," the mayor said.

The borough is facing a deficit of more than $1 million and has asked the state for help under the Act 47 program for financially distressed communities.

According to Harriger, the annual cost of running the jail is about $36,000, not including the chief clerk's Monday through Friday daytime job.

COG board members agreed to take responsibility for the lockup as of Friday. Executive Director James A. DeCapua said the board will have to come up with some way to keep the lockup open this weekend, perhaps using employees of the Shenango Valley Regional Lockup in Farrell on an on-call basis.

DeCapua said he will apply for about $150,000 through a Shared Municipal Services grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development and through distressed communities, if the borough qualifies for it.

According to Harriger, the lockup also needs a facelift, including new plaster on the walls and ceiling, bathroom plumbing, cell cleaning and painting, repairs to two cell locks and surveillance cameras, and the addition of an interrogation room

"I've been a contractor in my lifetime, and I would say the cost would be about $75,000 to $80,000," Harriger said.

The lockup can hold seven males and two females and averages about seven prisoners a week, the mayor said, adding that it is used -- for a fee -- by police in Hempfield, Pymatuning and South Pymatuning townships, Jamestown, state police and the county sheriff's department.

Once COG takes over, those departments will pay their fees to COG, as will Greenville-West Salem Township police, Harriger said.

He added that Greenville-West Salem Township police aren't happy about having COG take over, but something had to be done. "Money is tight."

COG took over the Shenango Valley Regional Lockup about five or six years ago from Farrell, which is a distressed community, DeCapua said.