North Port – North Port City Commissioners have unanimously approved a domestic partnership registry for its residents, meaning it joins the cities of Sarasota and Venice, as well as Sarasota County, in offering unmarried couples some limited protections.
The vote on Dec. 9 means that couples in the city can register by the end of the month, according to City Clerk Helen Raimbeau. She recommends that couples make an appointment at City Hall and have the $30 filing fee ready to make it official.
The decision to pass the ordinance met with no opposition during the meeting and unmarried couples-gay and straight-can now share in educational and healthcare decisions for their partner. It also allows those who register the opportunity to make emergency medical decisions for their significant other.
The ordinance was originally shot down in early 2013 by commissioners in this city in the southern part of Sarasota County. However, Vice Mayor Rhonda DiFranco brought it back in the fall after other cities throughout the county and the state passed similar measures.
