When high profile political figures visit our city, the collateral cost of those visits is paid for by local tax payers.
Those costs are due largely to hightened police presence and overtime costs.
Officers are needed for crowd control, street closures, surveillance, and more. And most of the time officials get minimal notice.
Officials are called in force to cover every angle. Often many officers are brought in on what's referred to as "forced recall," which means the officers must come in on their days off.
"It is costly cause we do have to, obviously, put people to work at overtime to cover everything," says TPD PIO Joe Heffernan.
And because toledo is a political hotspot, the city does work any possible campaign stops into their budget.
But Toledo taxpayers question whether we should be responsible for paying someone else's costs?
"I think that anything political wise, should be paid for by the politicians, by their donations, by the people supporting them," says Toledoan Jason Wesley.
The city does work these costs into the budget accordingly during political season. They say that the presence of political figures is commonplace here in the Glass City.
Jason Wesley, however, is concerned that the money could be being put to better use.
Wesley says, "Considering we had a problem even hiring any police and fire department just a few years ago, we probably shouldn't be spending money on things like that."
But don't get upset with the city. Remember that it's the duty of our civil servants to protect our elected officials, however some think they should have to foot thier own campaign and travel bills.
"They don't have a problem sending us a bill for things. We shouldn't have a problem sending them a bill for the same thing," Wesley says.
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