PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) is asking county officials for more than $45 million in “supplemental funding” for overtime costs related to President Donald Trump, according to an email WPTV obtained.
Slides, which county staff presented to Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday, estimated security will cost about $35 to $40 million a year.
How much PBSO might be spending per day to protect Trump
Commissioners instructed staff to ask the federal government to refund the county for those expenses along with other bills affected by the president’s frequent appearances in the county.
Historically, the county said it has used a grant called the Presidential Residence Protection Assistance Grant to get refunded by the federal government. However, Congress allocated less money to the program after President Biden was elected in 2021.
According to a letter provided to WPTV, the county points out the funding issue and some costs aren’t covered by the grant. It also acknowledged the increased security spending after an assassination attempt.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it spent about $13.2 million on overtime protecting the president from July 20, 2024 to Nov. 10, 2024. It said the amount was for 101,984 hours in an email to county staff including Administrator Verdenia Baker and Budget Director Lisa Master.
Previous coverage: Commissioner Maria Sachs tells WPTV they expect to be reimbursed for security
The agency estimated it would spend $25.3 million protecting the president from Nov. 11, 2024 to March 31, 2025. That’s about $190,000 a day. But the cost per day would decrease on April 1.
The sheriff’s office didn’t immediately return comment on their rationale for the numbers submitted to the county.
