COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Gov. Mark Sanford said he might shut down the Governor's Mansion for four months because most of the mansion's budget was spent before his predecessor, Jim Hodges, left office last month.

Sanford said that he will either have to close the mansion until June 30 or raise private money to cover operating costs like utiltity bills, food and salaries for the 11 employees.

If the mansion is closed, Sanford's family would continue to live in the private quarters but wouldn't have a staff and would cook their own meals.

Hodges left office Jan. 15 to work for a consulting firm in Charlotte, N.C.

Two days before he left office, he transferred $100,000 from administrative and program funds to the mansion's budget to cover the cost overruns.

But Sanford said that the money was intended for the Office of Veterans Affairs, the Commission on Women and the Review of Foster Care for Children. Sanford says he won't use that money for the mansion.

Sanford told The State newspaper in Columbia that the mansion should be shut down if the state doesn't have the money to operate it.

One of Sanford's first acts as governor was to eliminate the $80,000 position of the executive director of the mansion.

Hodges said that Sanford is misrepresenting the facts and the mansion budget alone is never enough to cover operating expenses.

Hodges said that it is typical to tap into other fund sources to pad the budget each year.