A week after President Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of 14,000 in Athens, Mayor Paul Wiehl estimates that the event cost the city $10,000.
The majority of the cost was for renting barricades to control where attendees stood, Wiehl said. He also said that other costs included having officers from the Athens Police Department collect overtime.
“It’s the responsibility of the city to protect you whether you’re the president or you’re dressed up as a witch,” Wiehl said at a press conference Wednesday that was mostly focused on the Halloween block party on Saturday.
The city has been cross-referencing the amount of money spent on Obama’s rally in the past week, Wiehl said, adding that a more detailed report should be released later this week.
