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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)


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  • Realpeople wrote...
    Use common sense
    December 4, 2012 10:22 am
    The Mayor of Seattle is giving people stipends that chooses to wed someone of the same gender? Clearly what's the message he's sending to his kids? Not against loving people at all, however, you can't convince me that two people joining together in marriage of the (same gender) is equality. Nature itself teaches man-kind this type of behavior is completely wrong! People with this mindset already know they can't procreate, so why do they even get involved with someone of the same gender? Oh, now days people think they are so bright and because of this those that support same-sex marriage-think it's equality. Certainly I hope they will refer back to base things in human life. Further, if anyone is willing to learn anything, let us please start with the animals of the earth. Although I understand they aren't humans, yet their action concerning procreation distinctly shows they're smarter than some humans when it comes to using common sense!
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  • Lake Tapps Chris wrote...
    Really?
    December 4, 2012 10:30 am
    It doesn't matter what the subject matter is, be it gay rights or whatever. the quote is..."one source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the changes,....." Don't they work for us? Aren't they paid BY us? Don't they HAVE to talk to us and explain themselves? Government is out of control and needs to be reigned in...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dan1 wrote...
    Getting paid extra for being a
    December 4, 2012 10:43 am
    carpet muncher or a rump ranger. Only in Seattle.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • chellesbelles wrote...
    @dan
    December 4, 2012 10:59 am
    carpet muncher or rump ranger? I have never heard that before and I nearly choked to death off my orange because I laughed so hard. Thanks a lot!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    And don't forget
    December 4, 2012 6:24 pm
    Hooter scootchers.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Since
    December 4, 2012 10:46 am
    They can't have children as God or any natural law intended, we should probably pay for adoption costs as well. When you stop and think about why the East hates us (meaning Muslims), think about the repulsive culture that is flowing from the West like sewage.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    I do not have a problem with the sentiment behind this benefit, however
    December 4, 2012 11:00 am
    I do think that the City Council were extremely short-sighted and hypocritical when they slipped this into the budget.

    First of all, clearly this was in place before the vote that confirmed R-74. That leads me to question if the council had some prior knowledge of the outcome of the vote?

    Secondly, this program sets a very dangerous precedent for Seattle in that the City Council, apparently without any input or advice from their constituency, single-handily decided to pick a federal law and nullify its consequences for a very select number of individuals. On the on hand, bully for Seattle for standing up to the Feds, on the other, what OTHER laws will Seattle now take action against? How will Seattle help its marijuana-smoking employees if and when they are accused of a federal drug crime? Will they pay attorneys fees? Will they cover fines? Because, on balance, IT IS THE SAME EXACT THING.

    Lastly, did the Council really think through the cost of this program? I understand that roughly $170K is tiny in comparison to the overall budget but is the budget even balanced? How many years do the council intend to cover this? 10? That's nearly $2,000,000. Has Seattle laid off any employees in the past 12 months? What did their salaries come to and how can the council justify putting one or more people completely out of work in exchange for a tax holiday for less than 200 employees?

    I think the council needs to do some thinking about the ramifications of this program because, while it does seem like "the right thing to do" on the outset, when one digs into the details, it could become a very expensive legal problem in the future.

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  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    Oh and one more thing. The article states that they don't know the real impact
    December 4, 2012 11:15 am
    Because they don't know which same sex couples will get married. The answer is, ALL OF THEM. The law clearly states that all registered SS couples will become automatically married after a stipulated period of time, whether they apply for licenses and get married or not. The only way for registered SS couples to avoid marriage in WA is to officially UNregister their status. And if that begins to happen, then we will know who was doing it only to get the extra benefits from the city.
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Opposite sex married couples with insurance do not have to pay federal taxes on the portion of insurance that the company pays for.
    December 4, 2012 11:05 am
    Hypocrisy again. Most, if not all Seattle gays are liberals. Liberals LOVE taxes. So...pay them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    How Progressive
    December 4, 2012 11:06 am
    Seattle is broke and they are finding "new" ways to spend taxpayers hard earned cash.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    STOP using the term "homophobe." It's dishonest and dismissive..
    December 4, 2012 11:09 am
    I am afraid of spiders and thus an arachnophobe. I am afraid of heights and thus an acrophobe. I am NOT afraid of homosexuals. They and their deviant lifestyle do not scare or threaten me. Calling people like me homophobes is really self-serving and sanctimonious. We don't hate or fear you. Get over yourself and do whatever you want to do with your life. Just don't shove it in our faces and hope to get the approval that you don't get from God and nature. It isn't there no matter how many people you convince to let you marry, no matter how many secular judges grant you "approval" what you are doing is wrong and you know it. I don't hate you. I don't want to make sodomy illegal or anything like that. Just stop seeking the approval that deep down even you know isn't there. Sorry.
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  • Sean wrote...
    Their accusations, Snout,
    December 4, 2012 1:24 pm
    have always been part of the gay community's methods of victimization and discrimination that have clearly worked quite well for them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    Not a homophobe? How about a religious zealot?
    December 4, 2012 2:16 pm
    The majority of people in this state, as proven by recent vote, are against having religious practices ruling their lives. We don't want governing bodies to tell us what individuals we can and can't marry. We don't want our laws determined by an outdated book written by MEN, thousands of years ago. We are sick to death of people like you judge us as evil and immoral criminals, all the while hiding behind a deity that you can't prove exists. You don't want gays to get this money? Fine, stop treating them differently than everyone else on a legal level. Your approval is the last thing we want. We just want equality for all, not just for Christianazis. With all that being said, you are entitled to your backwards opinion, and I would never take that away from you, so let's make a deal. You take God out of our government so we achieve full separation of church and state, and we'll agree not to shove any more of our "immorality" in your face. We'll agree to disagree, and just leave each other alone. That'll make me happy.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    Snout
    December 4, 2012 6:30 pm
    Exactly! The liberals and the gays are always the first to start with the name calling. Again, TOLERANCE is a one way street to homo's & Democrats...hypocrites. This is not about equal rights. It's about special rights....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    ...still homophobic...you white anglo saxon protestant neanderthals ...
    December 4, 2012 11:14 am
    Glad wrongwayhome shows that he is so progressive as to resort to name calling, insults and lies. At least he's a consistaent idiot, full of vitriol and hatred, all while condemning the same in others.
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  • deltta wrote...
    There is one good thing that will come of this
    December 4, 2012 11:22 am
    Divorce court....is going to be freakshow funny
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