Under changes made by Lexington Mayor Teresa Isaac in the city's health care plan, domestic partners of city employees will receive health insurance coverage starting July 1.

The new benefits have evoked applause from Lexington's gay and lesbian community, but the changes have angered some Urban County Council members, who said the mayor never notified them of her plans.

The mayor's spokesman, Bruce Edwards, said Isaac would not comment on the matter. But he said Isaac was advised by city lawyers that she could handle the changes without a council vote.

"Legally, she can do it administratively, and that's what she's done," Edwards said. "She's not going to get into a debate with council members who disagree."

Edwards said of the benefits: "You have to look out for all employees, including employees who may not be involved in conventional family situations."

Under the plan, city employees and their domestic partners -- same- and opposite-sex couples -- could qualify for benefits. Partners' children can also meet criteria for coverage.

Councilwoman Sandy Shafer said she would have hoped the mayor would have "enlightened" the council with a presentation to explain the new benefits.

Shafer said she doesn't mind supporting people who have "legitimate attachments or commitments, but I think we as a government have to be careful not to insure the whole city."

The flap comes as city employees protest the rising costs of health insurance and as the council tackles an $8 million budget crunch.

"What if someone has AIDS," cancer or other costly diseases, said Councilman Al Mitchell. "I have problems with unmarried folks getting benefits."

To receive the benefits, employees and their partners must sign a declaration that says they have lived together and been in the relationship for six months; they are at least 18 years old; they plan to live together indefinitely; and they "are engaged in a committed relationship of mutual caring and support."

They must also show examples of interdependence, such as joint bank accounts or common ownership of a motor vehicle or property.

The Bluegrass chapter of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance heralded the plan as a key to retaining and attracting good employees.

In 1999, the group persuaded the council to pass an ordinance banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The measure was approved 12-3; Mitchell and Shafer were two of the council members who opposed the ordinance.

In February, Bluegrass Fairness members met with the mayor because Isaac had promised during her campaign to seek government-subsidized same-sex partner benefits for city workers.

"We were just amazed that she was so forthcoming and willing to just do it," said Charlotte Wood, a member of the organization's steering committee. "We really expected it to become more difficult than it was."

"Some people think of this as a luxury," Wood said of the health benefits. "But we see this as a matter of fundamental justice."

Mitchell, however, described the mayor's actions as "a political payoff for a special-interest group that helped her get elected." Mitchell said he plans to bring up the issue at today's council work session.

Isaac also drew criticism from the Family Foundation of Kentucky, which protested the anti-discrimination ordinance four years ago.

"This is a highly irresponsible decision by the mayor," Kent Ostrander, the foundation's executive director, said. "She and an inner circle that's been running Lexington for years are pushing that same sexual agenda complete with expensive benefits, even when the city can least afford it."

But Wally Skiba, the city's human resources director, said the presumption that covering domestic partners would automatically cost the city more is unfounded. The city operates under a "cafeteria"-style benefits plan, in which employees receive $337 a month for health coverage, no matter their marital or family status, and choose their own insurance options.

If an employee wants insurance to cover himself, his partner and his partner's children, he would select the family plan, which costs much more than single-person coverage. The employee would still receive $337 a month but would have to pay the difference into the overall benefits pool.

Skiba did not know how many employees have applied for domestic partner benefits; open enrollment ends Friday.

Skiba said the department modeled the plan's criteria after national examples. Central Kentucky companies that offer domestic-partner benefits include Lexmark International, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky and the Herald-Leader. About 156 state and local governments across the United States offer similar benefits, Wood said.

The plan could one day help city employees such as Cindy Downey, co-chair of Bluegrass Fairness. She does not live with her partner but would like to take advantage of the plan if they find a place to live together.