This fall, Steamboat Springs voters are being asked to decide whether or not city council members continue to receive medical and dental health insurance benefits in return for their public service. This issue is Referendum 2B on the ballot, and we think the decision whether or not to approve the measure is a no-brainer.

Since 1990, Steamboat city council members have had the option to participate in the city’s medical and dental health insurance plan under the same terms and conditions as full-time city employees. By voting “yes” on this measure, citizens would be amending the city’s municipal code to make access to the city’s insurance plan an official part of a council member’s compensation.

While we value the virtue of public service without monetary incentive, we view this health insurance option as a legitimate form of compensation that could open up the playing field and entice more people to run for local office, especially in a community with an escalating cost of living and high childcare costs. In particular, we think it’s an incentive that may be attractive to young professionals in the community, providing them the opportunity to serve alongside more mature counterparts, who no longer face the same time and financial constraints.

Read more at Steamboat Today.