During a budget retreat late last year, Steamboat Springs City Council members were met with a ticklish dilemma when, during budget discussions, they were told by City Attorney Dan Foote that the taxpayer-funded insurance benefit members receive – and have received since 1992 – was never properly approved by voters, as stipulated in the city charter.

Now, a little more than seven months later, the sitting City Council is taking steps to rectify this situation.

On Nov. 7, city voters will be asked in the form of a ballot question to decide whether their city council members should continue to be offered this benefit. After the issue came to light in December, we expressed our belief that retroactively putting the question to voters was the only correct thing to do, and we’re gratified our city leaders have arrived at the same conclusion.

As to the question itself, we think council should be allowed to keep the benefit. We take this stance for several reasons.

Read more at Steamboat Today.