Keeping Donald Trump safe: Florida county seeks relief for nearly $7 million in taxpayer funds

After much than a period of checkpoints and sheriff’s patrol cars snaking astir the perimeter of erstwhile President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, Palm Beach County officials are calling for assistance to acceptable the bill.

In a missive signed by County Mayor Maria Sachs, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and Town of Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore, they item however the Sheriff’s Office volition person spent $6.8 cardinal by heightening information for the “Trump detail.” That accounts for the “extraordinary measures for security” required by the Secret Service up of the November predetermination to support the homes astir Mar-a-Lago and Trump himself.

“I don’t deliberation we’ve ever had a concern wherever we person been successful specified a conflict-ridden campaign, wherever unit seems to beryllium everywhere,” Sachs said. “We conscionable privation to beryllium definite that immoderate bonzer means are indispensable to support Trump arsenic good arsenic to support immoderate statesmanlike candidate, including Vice President Kamala Harris, that those resources are here. … Palm Beach County taxpayers can’t bash it alone.”

These enhanced information measures began connected July 20, and the astir $7 cardinal needed to prolong them volition headdress retired by the extremity of the fiscal twelvemonth connected Sept. 30. And without reimbursement from national funds, taxpayers whitethorn beryllium connected the hook for the other costs.

PBSO and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue person some had to beef up security, overmuch of which necessitates overtime pay. Beyond establishing a beingness on Southern Boulevard earlier the Mar-a-Lago mansion astatine each hours of the day, PBCFR “has been asked to supply further protective measures during motorcades and different times … chiefly erstwhile the erstwhile president is successful residence and portion a section motorcade is mobilizing and successful transit,” according to the letter.

A roadworthy closure prevents postulation from the Southern Boulevard span from passing Mar-a-Lago successful Palm Beach aft a fishy was arrested Sunday day aft Secret Service agents saw a firearm sticking retired of bushes astatine Trump International Golf Club adjacent West Palm Beach wherever erstwhile President Donald Trump was playing. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Extra extortion besides has been needed for visits from dignitaries to Mar-a-Lago, specified arsenic erstwhile Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected July 26, conscionable days aft the archetypal assassination effort of Trump successful Butler, Pennsylvania. The missive besides requests assistance successful offsetting traffic-related costs, including the efforts to trim the interaction of the roadworthy closures and information measures connected drivers.

The missive besides details however the Town of Palm Beach has financially suffered from the value of the caller information requirements.

Law enforcement and occurrence rescue resources adhd up to astatine slightest $3,600 a day, which could summation if Trump oregon 1 of his visitors is successful the area. The Palm Beach Police Department besides has to walk wealth connected ensuring 24/7 staffing and responding to immoderate demonstrations adjacent Mar-a-Lago.

“Prior to July, we didn’t person roadworthy closures successful place. We didn’t person information successful a bid center,” said Palm Beach Police Department spokesperson Will Rothrock.

Without the summation successful information levels, Rothrock said the municipality would not person these costs.

“As you tin see, our section governments are incurring important expenses successful information and protective measures related to caller changes implemented by national authorities agencies,” the missive states.

The missive is addressed to the county’s legislature delegation members, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Reps. Lois Frankel, Brian Mast, Jared Moskowitz and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

“I received the missive from Palm Beach County regarding the overtime costs incurred portion assisting the Secret Service successful protecting the erstwhile president, and I americium ever thankful to the Palm Beach County instrumentality enforcement officers moving to support our assemblage safe,” Frankel said successful an emailed statement. “I americium moving with colleagues connected some sides of the aisle to place resources to enactment these efforts.”

Sachs said she has received assurances from the legislature delegation that the indispensable national funds volition beryllium requested.

“I don’t deliberation it’s a substance of whether they would bash it. It’s conscionable a substance of erstwhile the monies volition beryllium coming into our fund to reimburse our information measures,” she said.

In 2017, Congress enacted a Presidential Residence Protection Assistance grant, which reimbursed authorities and section instrumentality enforcement agencies for costs spent connected protecting immoderate non-government residence for a U.S. president. But now, a caller instrumentality needs to beryllium created, and Palm Beach County is seeking reimbursement until 1 is, whether oregon not Trump wins oregon loses this year’s election.

“These bonzer measures, these bonzer means, bash request to beryllium taken attraction of by the national authorities to reimburse our taxpayers,” Sachs said.

Originally Published: September 20, 2024 astatine 12:24 p.m.