D.C.’s Emergency Planning and Security Fund is used to keep locals and visitors safe during events in the nation’s capital. Mayor Muriel Bowser says that fund is now depleted.

Tyrone Turner / WAMU

The Fourth of July celebrations in D.C., which included President Trump’s “Salute to America,” cost the District approximately $1.7 million, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday.

In a letter to President Trump, Bowser said the city’s special security fund will not only be depleted for fiscal year 2019, it will be in the red over $6 million. The Emergency Planning and Security Fund is used to cover security costs related to being in the nation’s capital.

Bowser wrote that the overages are due in part to the $7.3 million still owed to the District from President Trump’s 2017 inauguration, as well as an increased demand for heightened security. She said that Congress has only allocated about $13 million for the fund for the past few years, when the actual annual costs are around $16.5 million.

“It is critical that the EPSF is fully reimbursed for these funds to ensure the District can uphold proper security and support during the remainder of the fiscal year without incurring a deficit for federal activities,” Bowser wrote. ” As we continue to gather estimates for the next Inauguration, we ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events.”

Judd Deere, a spokesperson for the White House, said they received the mayor’s letter and “will respond in a timely manner.”

“President Trump led our Nation in a great Salute to America and recognized the brave sacrifice our service men and women have made throughout history,” Deere said.

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), urged Congress to provide an additional $6 million for the fund.

“Over the long term, EPSF needs to have sufficient carryover funds so that the District is not put in the unacceptable position of being forced to choose between not providing support for federally related activities, or having to divert its own local funds from local public safety activities to support activities that should be covered by the EPSF,” Norton said.

Meanwhile, officials with the Department of Defense said the President’s celebration, which included flyovers and tank displays, cost the agency $1.2 million. Before the holiday, the Washington Post reported that the National Park Service diverted nearly $2.5 million in entrance and recreation fees for the event.

This story first appeared on WAMU. It has been updated with comment from Norton.

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