Saline County Commissioners are poised to change a decision, and instead allow health department employees to retain vacation and sick leave time.

As part of the Salina – Saline County Health Department becoming a county agency, all of the department’s employees will become county employees. The animal shelter is becoming a city agency. Previously, both agencies were city – county shared.

Last week, county commissioners by a 2 – 1 vote, determined that health department employees would start over as new county employees, meaning they would lose vacation and sick leave time based on their longevity.

Tuesday, though, commissioners reconsidered. At the formal televised meeting Commission chairman Randy Duncan said commissioners had spent most of the morning discussing the issue. He said they planned to meet again later in the afternoon to formally adopt a plan in which the health department employees would not lose vacation time earned based on longevity. The employees will still begin their county employment with a six month probationary period.

Salina Animal Shelter employees also will not have to start over as new employees when they officially become City of Salina employees. City commissioners Monday voted an exception for the employees. Though animal shelter employees will begin with a six month probationary period, they will not lose benefits that include vacation leave.