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| By: Michael Emanuel Rajner |
This past Tuesday, July 23rd, the Wilton Manors City Commission voted 4-1 to establish a tax equity reimbursement program sponsored by Vice Mayor Julie Carson. This program will help close the gap of inequity for the few city employees in a domestic partnership, regardless of their domestic partner's gender.
Unlike the benefits extended to a legally married couple, the federal government considers the portion of the employer-sponsored benefits extended to an employee's domestic partner as taxable income. Based on a formula that accounts for the pre-tax cost of these health benefits, the city is offering these employees an annual $750 stipend.
In an attempt to thwart this measure, which has been adopted by other Florida cities, Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick complained at the meeting that no city employee had yet requested this benefit. Public comment is not permitted at meetings for regular agenda items, but if it were, my response to Mayor Resnick would have been that this is a chance for the city commission to demonstrate strong leadership on issues of equity and fairness and attract a more competitive workforce to serve its residents.
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