Council OKs Same-Sex Spousal Health Benefits
The Sebastopol City Council has approved a policy recognizing same-sex unions and giving benefits to same-sex spouses of municipal employees.
With two council members absent, Mayor Linda Kelley and Councilmen Craig Litwin and Bob Anderson voted 3-0 Tuesday for the policy.
“I’m glad we’ll be able to treat all of our married employees the same,” Kelley said.
Nine people spoke in favor of the policy in front of a small crowd.
Some work still must be done to make benefits equal between married heterosexual workers and married same-sex workers, officials said.
City Manager Dave Brennan said the retirement program used by the city doesn’t provide benefits for same-sex spouses and that health insurance would be taxed for the same-sex spouse. It is not taxed for opposite-sex spouses.
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