AUGUSTA — The Maine House voted overwhelmingly against a bill to restructure county government Friday, sending a signal that lawmakers may not be in a mood to tamper with county government in this session.

The 118-17 vote was to kill all three versions of a bill recommended by the State and Local Government Committee, which had spent several months last year between sessions looking at ways to streamline county government.

The bill will move to the Senate next week, but the strong vote against it in the House means it doesn’t stand much chance of passage.

County sheriffs have lobbied vigorously against any legislative efforts to weaken their elected authority and this week picked up support from Republican Gov. John R. McKernan.

Opponents have charged that some lawmakers are trying to erode local control with the bills on county government, which has been scrutinized by the Legislature for many years.

But supporters of reform say their efforts are attempts to bring property-tax relief to cities and towns that must pay taxes to the counties.

Rep. Ruth Joseph, D-Waterville, House chairman of the State and Local Government Committee, told the House Friday that county government cost a total of $43 million a year to operate.

Three different versions of the bill were voted down Friday. The original bill would have done several things, including:

Have the state pay county-jail costs, with jail employees remaining on the county’s payroll.

Have the state pay operating costs of district attorneys’ offices, and the full cost of Superior Courts and District Courts.

Require registrars of deeds and county treasurers to be appointed, rather than elected.

Require sheriffs to have the same type of training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as is now required of sheriffs’ deputies.

Establish a county budget process that did not require legislative review.

Friday’s brief debate featured the unusual twist of three members of the State and Local Government Committee — Reps. Jeanne Begley, R-Waldoboro, Alberta Wentworth, R-Wells, and Dorothy Rotondi, D-Athens — all recommending that all three versions of the bill be killed, even though they had originally supported one of the versions.

Rep. John Jalbert, D-Lisbon, said, “This is like going to the garage and getting three different estimates. I can’t believe you could spend five months studying what’s wrong with county government, and then not decide on one approach.”

Other opponents argued that Maine’s 16 counties were not all alike and therefore should not be subjected to a mandatory form of government by the state.

Rep. Thomas A. Duffy, D-Bangor, said counties already could change their form of government through local referendums without having the Legislature impose a governmental shakeup on them.

Another bill that many sheriffs have opposed would create a Department of Corrections just for Cumberland County and that department would take responsibility for the Cumberland County Jail away from the sheriff. That bill has yet to be debated.

Left over from last session is House Speaker John L. Martin’s bill to have the state take over ownership and operation of county jails, a move that had won preliminary approval last spring.

But the Martin bill, while providing an estimated $18 million in property-tax relief, would cost the state General Fund an estimated $25.6 million a year. With the state facing a $210 million budget shortfall, any bill with a substantial price tag is not likely to get funded.