KALISPELL — President Donald Trump's Oct. 14 visit to Kalispell left local governments with a combined bill of nearly $100,000 — and taxpayers could end up covering the cost.
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On Oct. 14, Trump held a political rally for Rebublican congressional candidate Aaron Flint at Majestic Valley Arena. The event left Flathead County with an approximately $58,000 bill and the City of Kalispell with a nearly $46,000 bill.
Flathead County says it won't seek reimbursement from the federal government, but the City of Kalispell may.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino says the cost on the county side came from security operations, specifically overtime for staff before and after the event.
"We were looking at about over 200 personnel for just on the local sides of these things to accomplish this, due to the amount of people, the traffic requirements of these types of things to get it done properly," Heino said.
The county is choosing not to seek reimbursement from the federal government.
"I think that anybody that's the President of the United States that's visiting a community, is an honor and respect to do that, no matter who it is. I think we're here to support our federal partners in this event, and I think that was a decision that both myself and the county commissioners came to," Heino said.
The Flathead County commissioners are defending their decision to support a presidential visit. The commissioners declined an on-camera interview with MTN News.
Chairman Brad Abell says a presidential visit is an honor, and the county is simply supporting its federal partners.
"We have a duty to assist with security efforts during any presidential visit of this scale. It was also an honor for Flathead County to host a sitting President of the United States," Abell said.
The decision is drawing reaction on social media, with some community members questioning why local taxpayers should cover the costs of a federal political event.
"The important thing to realize is that we do value taxpayer dollars and we are trying to ensure that we balance that," Heino said.
Mayor Ryan Hunter says the city council will discuss whether to seek federal reimbursement at its Nov. 2 meeting.
Related:
Trump urges voters to back Flint and Alme at Kalispell rally
