gay-marriage.jpg
Starting Jan. 1, gay and lesbian city employees who get married will receive a monthly allowance of $90, or approximately $1,080 over a 12-month period. The money will help cover healthcare expenses for their spouse. (AP Photo)

City of Seattle to give monthly 'allowance' to gay employees who wed

BY Brandi Kruse  on December 4, 2012 @ 9:48 am (Updated: 1:14 pm - 12/4/12 )

On Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and members of the city council will announce a new benefit for gay and lesbian city employees who get married under the state's marriage equality law, according to multiple sources who work for the city.

The benefit to gay couples will cost taxpayers an estimated $162,000 a year. Sources say the expense has been worked into the city's 2013-2014 budget.

Starting Jan. 1, gay and lesbian city employees who get married will receive a monthly allowance of $90, or approximately $1,080 over a 12-month period. The money will help cover healthcare expenses for their spouse.

While the city already offers health coverage to employees in same-sex unions, the stipend is designed to offset federal taxes that those couples must pay due to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Opposite-sex couples are not subject to federal income and payroll taxes on the value of their health coverage.

The coverage for same-sex couples is taxed at an average rate of 15 percent.

"The city wants to mitigate at least part of that by providing employees in same-sex marriages an allowance to help offset some of the extra taxes they pay the federal government," one source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the changes, told KIRO Radio.

During an unrelated press conference Tuesday, Mayor McGinn was asked about the benefit and whether the city would be criticized for giving same-sex couples "special treatment."

"Of course, of course I would be criticized," he said. "But at the same time, if the federal government has an unjust law I don't think it is fair to punish our workers who are following all the rules."

Currently, there are 150 city employees who have a same-sex spouse enrolled in a city-provided health plan. However, the stipend would only be given to those who marry once Washington's marriage equality bill takes effect.

According to the source, the specific numbers are preliminary and could change before the end of the year.

The source said figuring out how to implement the allowance was "incredibly complicated" and an "Interdepartmental Workgroup" continues to sort out details.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (105)


  • Add A Comment

  • JustAnotherFish wrote...
    Why Stop There...?
    December 4, 2012 9:24 am
    Why not give an "allowance" to all childless employees as well? You know, to offset the tax credit that parents receive from the federal government... Seems only fair.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mitsuturbo wrote...
    RE: justanotherfish why stop there?
    December 4, 2012 10:13 am
    You're insane, man! They can't do that. That would be pure anarchy! They need US to pay for THEIR snot nosed kids!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Go Seattle!
    December 4, 2012 9:27 am
    Suck it haters...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CountryCharacter wrote...
    @gaymarried.......
    December 4, 2012 10:58 am
    Let's break this down. First part - "suck it." Given your handle, no thanks. Second part - "haters." Presumably you're not a fan of haters so you prefer a more gracious tone. So it is a bit paradoxical that you string together an offensive suggestion with a pejorative description of those you disagree with. And then there is the fact that you are not a member of this community so are sticking your nose into someone else's business. Love you too. Long live the concept of "tolerance."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Break this down...
    December 4, 2012 12:13 pm
    suck it haters!!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    I meant an egg, I dont know what you were thinking.
    December 4, 2012 12:14 pm
    Sicko.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    Surprise!
    December 4, 2012 1:17 pm
    Another "hater" accusation.... amazing.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Seattle is a cesspool wrote...
    gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood...
    December 4, 2012 1:28 pm
    LoL, your funny. LoL.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • southi5 wrote...
    EWWWW
    December 4, 2012 2:40 pm
    Dirty, dirty person
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • What? wrote...
    I agree with AJ
    December 4, 2012 9:28 am
    Neither will I. I am so glad I do not live there anymore. Will never go back.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Denco25 wrote...
    Stupid
    December 4, 2012 9:31 am
    And they wonder why we are incresingly voting against all measures that will raise taxes? Thankfully, I don't live in Seattle, but like another commentor made note of, my family just avoids Seattle at all cost. We don't attend Fifth Ave., PNW Ballet, etc. events any longer. Even stayed away from the King Tut exhibit, which we normally would have seen. Just our way of protesting the liberals in Seattle and King County.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sambra27 wrote...
    Denco25
    December 4, 2012 12:51 pm
    Good for you...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jandra47 wrote...
    Denco25
    December 4, 2012 2:13 pm
    You sure are showing Seattle, wow! I attend many events in Seattle, there are always crowds, so I don't think you are missed. I am glad people like you stay away and stay in your little villages with people who only think and believe as you do. Thank goodness some day when we are gone, our children will have a totally different and accepting mentality and TOLERANCE!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Jandra 47
    December 4, 2012 6:17 pm
    Ah yes, the always popular liberal Tolerance cry. How pathetic. Tolerance with gays and liberals is a ONE WAY STREET! This is the perfect example of special rights for a select few who DEMAND EVERYONE give them their way. Like spoiled little children. Forced Tolerance = INTOLERANCE.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    Stay away
    December 4, 2012 9:39 am
    From Seattle........
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    How cool is that?
    December 4, 2012 9:46 am
    Now they will pay you to be a pervert. As far as your company funded health care counted as income, have you read Obozo care? It's coming your way.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • LoyalListenerPhil wrote...
    You can compute where to stop...
    December 4, 2012 9:47 am
    Mathematically, the city should pay more then the $90 to cover the taxes on their benefits. This is because the money they pay, the $90 is itself taxable. For example, using an marginal tax rate of 15 percent, the city needs to pay $105.88 to cover all of the taxes if they were incrementally accounted for like: original $90 plus $13.50 for the taxes on $90 plus $2.03 (rounded) for taxes on $13.50 plus 30 cents for taxes on $2.03 plus 5 cents (rounded) for taxes on $2.03 plus -- well, we will ignore the last one.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ibedavey wrote...
    Seattle turning into California
    December 4, 2012 9:48 am
    Officials of Seattle must not read the news or else they don't rely on past history to form their decisions. Seattle will go the way of many cities in California due to their agressive spending habits. Into the toilet.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Seattle is the toilet
    December 4, 2012 9:53 am
    And it just gets bigger each day
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Fuego wrote...
    Glad to see...
    December 4, 2012 10:00 am
    all the budget problems have been solved and there's oooddlllesss of money to be handed out to what ever the pet group of the day is. No wonder Seattle is called the emerald city; the people that run this place think they live in fantasy land.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    This is supposed to be same rights, not special rights.
    December 4, 2012 10:08 am
    AJ, when have liberals EVER followed thru on their "we just want equal rights" rhetoric? Let me answer: Never. This was NEVER about equal rights. It's about special rights, but only for a selected few the left deems worthy.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }