CHEROKEE — Full-time employees in Cherokee, beginning in January, won’t have the option of selling unused vacation time.

It’s been the town’s practice in the past to buy vacation time from employees wishing not to use it.

During Tuesday night’s town council meeting, council woman Thelma Crawford proposed a resolution to cease paying for vacation time. The resolution passed 5-1, with councilman Paul Norman voting against the measure.

“I’ve been against this practice all along,” Crawford said. “I can’t see paying people for not accepting a privilege that’s earned on their job.”

She went on to say that in some cases, employees have been paid for all four weeks of their earned vacation time.

“It’s going to help us save money next year because paying out a big sum of money in December just kills our budget come January,” she said. “We’re much better able to absorb the expense of covering for people on vacation throughout the year.”

Cherokee has four full-time employees to whom the new mandate will apply.

Lisa Singleton-Rickman can be reached at 256-740-5735 or lisa.singleton-rickman@TimesDaily.com.