Should health insurance benefits provided to city council members be considered income?

    A local district judge has already said yes. But now that question, stemming from a lawsuit filed by the Corpus Christi Taxpayers Association, is before the 13Th Court of Appeals.

   In its presentation before the three judge panel today, the city cited an attorney generals opinion that fringe benefits should be considered separate from compensation.

   And after the 45 minute hearing taxpayer spokesman Jack Gordy says he didn't think their attorney, the taxpayers' attorney, did enough to make their case stick.

   Gordy says, "we asked him to point out in our, like the city charter says that council members shall receive a sum of 6-thousand dollars. OK we wanted him to point out the word sum which means the total amount of compensation. And everybody agrees that health insurance is compensation."

   District Judge Nanette Hasset ruled last year that the health insurance provided to council members Is above and beyond their approved compensation.

    Gordy now says he'll work to get the issue put on a future ballot so that voters can decide.