Palm Beach County wants the federal government to reimburse taxpayers for the costs associated with providing security for President Donald Trump on his visits to the area.
County officials said they will spend about $45 million to protect the president by the end of the current fiscal year in September. They said the county relies on the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, along with other police and fire rescue services, to provide security.
“We consider it an honor to serve and protect our President; however, our tax paying community cannot continue to foot the bill for this very costly service," said Palm Beach County Mayor Maria Marino in a statement.
Marino said she supports a bipartisan bill authored by Democratic Congresswoman Lois Frankel, whose district includes parts of the county, and Republican New Jersey Congressman Tom Kean Jr., that aims to offer financial relief to municipalities.
If passed, the federal government would reimburse local agencies for protecting Trump during his stays in Florida, New Jersey and New York.
Said Frankel in a statement: “Protecting the President is a matter of national security and should be a federal responsibility to bear the costs. Diverting funds for presidential security can strain local governments’ ability to provide essential public services."
Read the text of the bill here.
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