After considerable discussion and debate, the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved a contract with Cedarbrook Nursing Home, Allentown.

The contract, which the commissioners approved at the Aug. 13 meeting, will raise pay 1.5 percent in 2014, 2 percent in 2015 and 2.5 percent in 2016.

The contract affects 523 employees of the nursing home. Sick days will decrease from 20 to six and under the contract, employees will be responsible for a larger share of their health care costs.

The commissioners also agreed to eliminate capital funding for the nursing home that would have required considerable funding for improvements to the structures.

Although Commissioner Vic Mazziotti offered his support for the contract, he questioned where future funding will come from.

"How are we going to finance Cedarbrook?" Mazziotti asked. "County plans are weak. We're in for a really tough time with the 2015 budget."

Commissioner Mike Schware was opposed to providing the same level of funding to Cedarbrook as the board did last year.

Last year the board approved roughly $6 million in funding to the nursing home.

"I don't think it's acceptable to continue to pump taxpayer money into it," he said.

Commissioner David Jones Sr. argued the board should draft its own plan as relating to the nursing home rather than rely on the administration to put together a plan.

County Executive Tom Muller said he expects the 2015 budget to be released to the public by the end of August. He further said it is possible the financial condition of Cedarbrook may not be as unstable as previously believed.

Cedarbrook employees are represented by 1776 United Food and Commercials Workers Union.