In New York City, the cost to register a marriage is $35 while the cost to register a domestic partnership is $36. Mayor Bloomberg's office has announced that the discrepancy is to be fixed.
Said Alan Van Capelle, executive director of Empire State Pride agenda: “It's ridiculous. You pay more for less rights. It's like nouvelle cuisine in the restaurants — less food on a plate, but you pay more money.”
According to the NYT, “The reason for the current $1 discrepancy lies in the way the two fees evolved. Marriage fees are subject to state approval, but domestic partnership registration fees are set by the city alone. The city clerk asked the city's Office of Management and Budget to determine a fair fee for domestic partnership registration, encompassing processing and other costs. The result? $36.”