DeKalb County's

approval of domestic partners benefits for its employees may wind up setting

off a chain reaction in Fulton County.

The new policy

in DeKalb allows unmarried partners of heterosexual and homosexual partners

to use their partners' county benefits such as health insurance.

In South Fulton

County, East Point officials are on the brink of also passing the benefits

program. Officials had planned to have it on this past Monday's agenda,

but a spokesman in East Point said the county's attorney is still trying

to work out the final details for the program.

East Point

is self-insured, so the program is a little more complicated than letting

a regular insurance company handle the issue, the spokesman said.

In Fulton County,

Commission Chairman Mike Kenn's spokesman Michael Harris was surprised

that DeKalb passed the program, but said Kenn could not comment on the

matter.

Closer to home,

County Commissioner Bill Edwards said he expects the issue to come before

the commission soon.

"I'm not

a judgmental person. I don't discriminate against a person because of

their sexual preference. If it's the right thing to do, we'll do it,"

he said.

In evaluating

any proposal, Edwards said he has to look at all the information and determine

if it's in the best interests of the county.

He said the

county had not run any preliminary estimates on what it would cost the

county, but said he is open to discussion.