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PUEBLO, COLO. -- Tuesday night Pueblo City Council voted six to one to approve a change that will allow city workers to add their domestic partners to their insurance programs.

Council President Chris Kaufman was the only member to vote against the change and he said he has several concerns over the issue.

"By terms of process it went right to the floor twice very quickly," Kaufman said. "I don't think that the staff did an adequate review of what other cities have done and I don't think they really did an adequate review on the costs that may be associated with it."

National statistics predict one percent of employees will be affected by the change. Kaufman estimated that that would equate to about six to eight city employees. He said that would add up to around $55,000 in additional costs that the city doesn't have the money for.

"We're facing a deficit next year and I think the prevailing thought must be that it's $55,000 that we'll find somewhere," Kaufman said.

Ami Nawrocki, City Councilmember for District 1 who voted in favor for the measure, said those costs could change every year.

"The city's insurance premiums are really hard to gauge at any given time," Nawrocki said. "Any of our employees could be in a state of flux of getting married, getting divorced, having children, so we never really know exactly what the cost of our insurance is going to be."

Nawrocki said the city shouldn't be discriminating against any group of employees.

"I think it's a pretty small price to pay for helping to eradicate institutionalized discrimination," Nawrocki said.

Kaufman admitted that his Christian values played a role in his vote but he said his biggest concern was that he felt like it was an agenda that was being pushed.

"To me it's not about the people it's about the agenda," Kaufman said.

He said time after time voters in Colorado have chosen to define marriage as one man one woman.

"The fact that they put this before the seven of us, the city council, not knowing that the city of Pueblo may not have any interest in using their tax payer money for these benefits was very presumptuous," Kaufman said.

Nawrocki said it's part of a national movement for more equality.

"I think it's just part of a national progression socially toward understanding that we shouldn't be discriminating against people based on who they choose to spend their lives with," she said.

"We tried this nationally, we tried it on a state level, and it was defeated fairly substantially," Kaufman said. "So I think the country still believes that marriage is between a man and a woman and the prevailing benefits and the tax benefits that are associated with that, certainly the health benefits, the life insurance benefits, all those things are meant to be associated with the husband and wife."

Those wishing to apply for the benefits will have to fill out a sworn affidavit.

The benefits will go into effect January 1, 2013.