Chicago and Milwaukee — the cities hosting next year’s Democratic and Republican conventions — want more federal funding for an expected surge in security costs that could deepen their financial challenges.
(Bloomberg) — Chicago and Milwaukee — the cities hosting next year’s Democratic and Republican conventions — want more federal funding for an expected surge in security costs that could deepen their financial challenges.
Congressional delegations from Wisconsin and Illinois are seeking $75 million for each host city to cover security for the presidential nominating conventions, up from the $50 million that is currently slated. That amount hasn’t changed since 2004.
The US representatives and senators, who are pushing members of congressional appropriations committees for the funds, say the amount has to be increased to reflect inflation and heightened security concerns.
“Cities shouldn’t be expected to front the cost,” Representative Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat and House Appropriations committee member, said in an interview. He added that risks aren’t static. “If anything, they have increased,” he said.
Security expenses are in addition to at least $70 million needed to hold the conventions in each city. Host committees for both parties are working to raise that cash from private donors — but that money likely wouldn’t be used to cover shortfalls in security funding.
The federal government began giving host cities a grant to pay for security-related costs following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In the last two years, inflation has surged, while crime jumped during the pandemic. The Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol has also fueled concern about political protests turning violent.
A security incident would haunt either party ahead of an election that might again pit President Joe Biden against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Both cities still face elevated crime rates, although Milwaukee has come off its pandemic peaks and Chicago’s murder rate is down.
For Chicago, images of police officers and protesters facing off during the 1968 Democratic National Convention still linger in the national consciousness — even after the city successfully hosted a convention in 1996.
Nonetheless, the events retain their allure. Convention proponents have touted the prospect of infusing each local economy with more than $100 million.
Funding Requests
A bipartisan group of eight congressmen from Wisconsin in March wrote a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, urging them to increase funding. They cited higher costs for equipment, supply-chain hiccups, temporary hires and insurance expenses.
Quigley and 14 other Illinois Democrats wrote a similar letter in April, a few weeks after Chicago was chosen by their party.
“Over the past 20 years, we have seen costs increase for policing,” Representative Bryan Steil, a Republican whose district borders Milwaukee, said in an email. “I’m committed to ensuring each host city has the resources they need for a safe and successful convention.”
Representative Gwen Moore, a Democrat whose district includes Milwaukee, said she’s worried about outdated equipment. As many as 4,500 temporary officers may also be needed on top of the roughly 1,600 in the city’s police department, she said.
“We are asking only for $25 million more,” Moore said in an interview. “That’s a rounding error in terms of the budget — but it means a whole lot in terms of our security.”
She also noted the financial challenges in Milwaukee. The city’s pace of spending on obligations such as pension contributions is likely to run above growth in revenue, Fitch Ratings said.
“I want to make sure the convention we have here in Milwaukee, the Republican National Convention, is a safe event, and there are costs to doing that,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat who was elected last year to lead the city of about 570,000, said in an interview. “We don’t intend to spend our money on this.”
The federal security grant, the current tool to fund security expenses, doesn’t provide upfront money. Rather, it reimburses cities for eligible expenses — a burden for cash-strapped local governments.
Chicago Police
Chicago, a city of about 2.7 million, has more than 11,000 police officers, but staff is stretched and overtime racks up, adding to its fiscal woes. Mayor Brandon Johnson must balance his progressive agenda with the realities of a budget that spends roughly $1 of every $5 on pensions.
Chicago Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. said security costs for the event are expected to range between $50 million to $70 million. He voiced optimism that the necessary measures will take place.
“There is no way we are going to allow the image of this city go bad,” Burnett said earlier this month during a panel about the convention.
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