SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – The Salt Lake City Council will challenge a mayoral executive order providing health benefits to the same-sex partners of city employees by offering a competing insurance package.

The plan would include insurance coverage for any significant other designated by the employee, including parents, siblings or friends, if those people live together.

If it passes, the council’s plan would supersede the order signed by Mayor Rocky Anderson on Sept. 21. Council members were left out of Anderson’s plan and offended that the mayor didn’t give them a chance to weigh in on the idea.

A majority said they are interested in expanding benefits to include domestic partners and others.

Councilmember Jill Remington Love is behind the council plan, saying it is a way to strengthen all types of households. She says she asked Anderson to hold off and work with the council, but he refused.

Anderson’s plan was immediately effective. However, the Public Employees Health Program, the city’s insurance carrier, is expected to ask the district court to decide if domestic partner benefits are illegal under the state law that bans same-sex marriage. The state law, which by ballot initiative last year amended Utah’s constitution, prohibits from giving any legal recognition or standing to partner relationships other than marriages between men and women.

Anderson has said he welcomes a legal challenge to his proposal. He also opposes the council’s plan, saying it allows the council to avoid the issue of sexual orientation.

“This is all being motivated by trying to dodge the issue of equality for those who have a different marital status or different sexual orientation,” the mayor said.

The mayor had hoped the council would pass a resolution supporting his order.

Love and Anderson have had competing plans since August, when both were separately exploring domestic-partner benefits. Love offered to help Anderson gain council support and backed away from her own plan, reviving it this week.

Council Chair Dale Lambert said he is intrigued with Love’s plan because it accomplishes a broader objective. He also said Anderson should have worked with council members if he wanted their support.

Anderson said he did ask for the collaboration of the council, sending out a draft of his order the same day he announced plans to sign it. No one responded, the mayor said.

Anderson predicts the council plan will be more costly for the city. About 30 city employees are expected to sign up for benefits for their same-sex partners. That should add about $113,000 to the city’s annual health insurance costs.

If the council’s plan passes, Anderson said he’ll invite an acquaintance with $5,000 worth of monthly medical costs to move in to his house so the he could take advantage of city insurance.