TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- The mayor of Toledo wants to extend health care and other benefits to the gay and unmarried partners of city employees.

The Blade reports ( http://bit.ly/ID2nB7 ) that Toledo Mayor Mike Bell plans to introduce legislation Tuesday to extend benefits to the domestic partners of city employees, provided they have certified their status with Toledo's Domestic Partner Registry.

Cleveland and Columbus already offer domestic partner benefits, along with Lucas County and the University of Toledo.

The newspaper reports that Bell's announcement on Thursday was met with some skepticism from Toledo city councilmen. One expressed both financial and moral concerns about the proposal.

Bell says he doesn't expect the cost of providing the additional benefits to be high. He estimates about 2 percent of the city's workforce would sign up for the benefits.

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Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/