The City of Aurora, Colorado's third-largest, decides Monday night whether to offer insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city employees.
The question could be contentious, as a budget deficit estimated from $6 million to $12 million has the city of 300,000 tightening belts at every turn. Some opponents say the roughly $50,000 annual cost to add the benefits is a luxury the city can't afford. Others say the city can't compete for employees without joining the 20 other municipalities across the state offering domestic partnership benefits. The 11-member City Council has discussed the measure at committee meetings and study sessions but remains divided, ushering it to Monday's formal meeting on a 6-5 vote. Tonight, we'll be live-blogging the debate and posting the result as it happens. Please join the discussion in the comments section below.