The Tampa City Council unanimously agreed to form a committee to look into extending benefits to same-sex partners and unmarried employees.

Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said the death of Officer Lois Marrero, who was killed July 6 in the line of duty, underscored the inequality of the city's benefits.

Had Marrero been married, her spouse would have been eligible to receive Marrero's pension for life. But gay and single employees weren't able to designate beneficiaries until July 3 - three days before the officer was killed.

So Marrero's partner of 10 years, Tampa police Officer Mickie Mashburn, was not able to receive the same benefits as a spouse.

Marrero never named a beneficiary for her pension, and her sister, Brenda Marrero, said the slain officer did not have a will.

``If someone does the same job, they should be able to have the same benefits,'' Councilwoman Rose Ferlita said.

The council will appoint a committee to study the city's personnel policies, particularly the idea of offering equal benefits to unmarried employees for life insurance, pension, health insurance and family leave.

``We need to be fair and consistent,'' Saul-Sena said.

Council members Shawn Harrison and Bob Buckhorn agreed to study the issues and the costs associated with each.

Al Suarez, the president of the Tampa firefighters union, said both the police and firefighters unions will be involved.

Police union President-elect Kevin Durkin agreed. ``The issue for us is equal benefits for officers,'' Durkin said. ``We do feel strongly they should be able to name beneficiaries.''

Tampa wouldn't be the first American city to offer equal benefits to accommodate gay and unmarried employees.

Dozens of cities from New York to Los Angeles, from Ann Arbor to Atlanta, offer health benefits to same-sex partners. Domestic partner laws have withstood judicial scrutiny all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Seven states have laws recognizing domestic partners, and last year, Vermont became the first state to offer civil unions to same-sex partners.

Brenda Marrero said she hopes her sister's death spurs those changes in Tampa. But at the same time, Brenda Marrero said her sister understood her legal status and would have made provisions if that's what she wanted to do.

Mashburn has not made a claim for the pension, but Brenda Marrero indicated the family probably will.

``Lois went back to work knowing she had a short time to go before retirement,'' Brenda Marrero said. ``We knew the pension was a big part of her decision, and we'd hate to see it go to waste.''

Mashburn's lawyer, Daniel Castillo, said his client has not sought any benefits. But Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth has awarded her $25,000 from a crime victims' compensation fund, Castillo said.

``She did not request any of this,'' he said. ``But she is pleased that people are taking [the] initiative on their own.''

But local support for domestic-partner benefits is far from unanimous, and several people spoke against such a move during Thursday's council meeting.

Tampa resident Oliver Lewis said he would oppose any plan to implement a domestic partner ordinance in Tampa. ``For us to change the policy now, out of sympathy, is another attempt to erode the moral fabric of our community,'' he said.

Researcher Michael Messano contributed to this report. Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 259-8303.