The Broward County Commission voted Nov. 8 to approve a new rule that requires companies doing business with the county to treat domestic partners and married couples equally. The Equal Benefits Ordinance (EBO) means the county’s vendors must provide domestic partners with benefits equal to those offered to spouses of married employees.
The ordinance applies to companies that are in contracts of $100,000 or more with the county and who have five or more employees. Companies that do not currently provide benefits to the spouses of their employees are not required to provide benefits to those employees' domestic partners.
If companies are not able to provide benefits to domestic partners, they may provide the cash equivalent to the employee and still meet the requirements of the new ordinance.
Broward is the first county in Florida to adopt this type of ordinance. In 2005, Miami Beach became the first city in the state to approve an EBO. Since then, the city reports no negative fiscal effects.
The ordinance was introduced by Mayor Sue Gunzburger, co-sponsored by all members of the commission and passed unanimously.
