Final answer:
The total amount of vacation leave earned by city employees is 6M.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total amount of vacation leave earned by city employees is 6M.
Although they are paid 4.5M in 2017, the remaining balance of 1.5M is postponed until future years. This balance is still considered earned vacation leave as it vests and can be taken up to retirement or used as additional compensation at the time of retirement.