BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Battle Creek last month cost the city $93,000, the city announced in a statement Wednesday morning.
"To be honest with you I thought it would be higher," said City Manager Rebecca Fleury. "So, no I wasn’t really shocked."
She said most of the expenses stem from staffing the event with the fire and police departments, building maintenance, the Department of Public Works, Battle Creek Transit and the airport.
She said it's too early to tell if budget adjustments will be made for each of those services.
"We try to budget in the unknowns," Fleury said. "We plan for the best and we hope for the best. And, we plan for kind of some worst case scenarios."
The rest of the costs came from translating the city’s logistical information into Spanish and Burmese, buying supplies like concrete blocks and barricades, and the use of city vehicles.
Costs are separate for Kellogg Arena, where the event was hosted. Those expenses totaled $33,000, primarily in labor and equipment.
The arena has already submitted an invoice to Trump’s campaign asking for reimbursement. Battle Creek administrators plan to do the same.
"We’re going to try to submit a reimbursement," Fleury said. "Based on the history that we had heard, learned, and spoken with other municipalities that's not an expectation. We didn’t think about that going in either. It’s just the job that we do as city employees and municipal employees."
