Security for president’s visit costs Albemarle $23,000
Security for President Bush’s visit to Monticello on July 4 ended up costing Albemarle County taxpayers an estimated $23,000.
“We knew it was going to cost a lot,” County Executive Robert W. Tucker Jr. said. “And we knew we were going to have to pick it up.”
The county provided 67 police officers to assist the U.S. Secret Service and Monticello with securing Bush’s visit to the annual Independence Day naturalization ceremony.
Many of the officers were paid overtime or holiday pay, Tucker said.
Like many localities, Albemarle County’s budget is being pinched by the economic slowdown. However, Tucker said, the county was happy to pick up the tab.
“It was nice to have the president here,” Tucker said. “We were glad to do our part to secure things.”
The federal government does not reimburse localities for the cost of adding security to the president’s local appearances.
The president’s visit went smoothly, for the most part, though several determined protesters interrupted his speech with angry shouts. They were quickly escorted away from the ceremony, during which 72 people became American citizens.
More than 3,000 people were estimated to have attended the event.
Reader Reactions
“The protests from some very rude citizens is what ran up the tab, right?“
Absolutely not. The protesters are not seen as a physical threat to the president. His security detail travels with him no matter where he’s going.
Maybe people would be a little more respectful and hospitable if the president had one ounce of righteousness. This one has none.
Yeah if Bush would have just stayed in Washington, we wouldn’t have to give the cost of a swig of beer and bite of pizza to cover the cost. And if he would have just sayed in Washington maybe less people would be comming to Monticello, because we all know we hate when people come her and spend their $$$ here. The last thing we need is tourests here. The last thing we need is for more people to go to Monticello, we want it all for ourselves.
Maybe if people were a little more respectful and hospitable to the president, it wouldn’t have costed so much for security. The protests from some very rude citizens is what ran up the tab, right?
Thanks, King George IV.
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