The San Diego City Council may endorse a “no” vote on Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that, if passed, will eliminate the rights of same-sex couples to marry in California.

A City Council committee voted 4-1 Oct. 8 to discuss Proposition 8 in a council meeting before the November election.

Councilmember Donna Frye made a motion to the Rules, Open Government & Intergovernmental Relations Committee that the ballot measure be referred to the full City Council, with a recommendation the council urge residents to vote “no.”

“There’s little support for Prop. 8 on the Council,” said Council President Scott Peters, who seconded Frye’s motion.

Without comment, Councilmember Tony Young voted against the motion.

Also voting for Frye’s motion were Councilmembers Ben Hueso and Jim Madaffer.

Job Nelson, the director of the Intergovernmental Relations Department, recommended a number of state propositions the council should consider to either endorse or oppose. He said the city should consider whether the propositions involve public safety, more grants or money for San Diego, or measures that would enhance local control of government.

Nelson suggested the council urge a “no” vote on Proposition 8, but acknowledged the measure didn’t fit the criteria he had used for the propositions. He said the council could urge a “no” vote to be consistent with its vote last year to sign a friend-of-the-court brief before the California Supreme Court on same-sex marriage. The high court ruled in May the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is not legal, and same-sex couples began marrying in June.

Mayor Jerry Sanders signed the amicus brief after the council voted 5-3 in favor of it on Sept. 18, 2007. Sanders had been poised to veto it, but explained his change of heart in an emotional news conference in which he said he wanted to support his lesbian daughter and other gay and lesbian couples.

In 2000, with different leadership, the San Diego City Council voted 7-2 to urge residents to vote against Proposition 22, a measure that defined marriage in California as a union between a man and a woman. Then Mayor Susan Golding joined the council in voting to recommend a “no” vote on Proposition 22. That measure passed with 61 percent of the vote statewide.

In last week’s vote, Frye also made a motion the council consider a “no” vote on Proposition 6, a measure regarding law enforcement funding and criminal penalties.

Frye and Young said Proposition 6 contains a requirement that entire families could be evicted from government housing if one member of the family has a criminal record. The committee voted 5-0 to recommend the Council oppose Proposition 6.

“Making families go homeless – I don’t think that will help,” Frye said.

The Council will consider both propositions later this month.

The Council has already voted to recommend a “yes” vote on Proposition 2, regarding humane conditions for farm animals raised for food.