PORTLAND – The Salvation Army must comply with the city’s domestic partnership ordinance or give up its contracts for the only activity center and Meals-on-Wheels program serving Portland’s elderly, city councilors decided.

Councilors voted 6-3 last week against exempting the Salvation Army and other religious groups from the ordinance. Passed last year, the ordinance requires organizations that get federal funding through the city to provide health and employment benefits to domestic partners of employees.

The Salvation Army receives $60,000 a year from the city to operate its $400,000 meals program and the center for seniors.

Salvation Army officials have refused to comply with the ordinance, even if it means losing the money and having to scale back or close the senior programs.

The Bible-based, Christian organization, which believes that Scripture forbids sexual relations between members of the same sex, had asked the city for an exemption.