Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser penned a letter Tuesday to President Donald Trump, explaining that the cost of the “Salute to America” event on the Fourth of July, together with police expenses for street protests, bankrupted the city’s Emergency Planning and Security Fund (EPSF), the Washington Post reported.
Although the exact amount of money Trump’s Independence Day celebration on the National Mall cost the country is unclear, it is estimated to be at least $5.4 million, $2.5 million of which being from the National Park Service, around $1.2 million from the Department of Defense and $1.7 million from the District of Columbia.
Military parade of tanks, flyovers and ticket-only VIP areas are thought to have played a major role in the massive spending.
“Considering this accruing deficit, our projections indicate that the EPSF will be depleted following your additional July 4th holiday activities and subsequent first amendment demonstrations,” Bowser said in her letter, which was published by the Washington Post.
“The accrued amount for the July 4th holiday totals approximately $1.7 million. It is critical that the EPSF is fully reimbursed for these funds to ensure the District can uphold proper security and support during the remainder of the fiscal year without incurring a deficit for federal activities.”
The mayor also asked for the reimbursement of President Trump’s 2017 inauguration spending of $7.3 million, which reportedly was never paid.
“We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events,” she wrote.
The EPSF is a fund designated for the protection of D.C. from terror attacks, as well as providing security at state events. It is likely to be running a $6 million deficit by the end of the fiscal year, which is on September 30, Bowser stated.
You can read Mayor Bowser’s full letter here.