### Trump Owes Albuquerque Nearly $450,000 in Unpaid Rally Costs

Former President Donald Trump has accrued nearly $450,000 in unpaid public safety costs to Albuquerque over the past five years, city officials report. Albuquerque's Mayor Tim Keller, ahead of Trump's visit just five days before Election Day, sarcastically posted on social media, highlighting the unpaid bill with a photo of a skeleton sitting at a desk.

Trump's last visit to Albuquerque was in 2019 for a rally at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, which is part of the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The cost from that event was initially $211,176, which has grown to $444,986 with interest. The heavy costs stemmed from the substantial overtime needed for police, firefighters, and other first responders to manage the event, which encompassed 1,500 combined overtime hours.

Albuquerque is not alone in chasing payments from Trump's campaign events. According to officials, cities across the nation are awaiting reimbursement for expenses that range from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars due to Trump's rallies. These events often require significant public safety resources, despite Trump's vocal support for law enforcement.

Some cities have opted not to bill Trump's campaign for such costs. For instance, Rio Rancho absorbed nearly $240,000 in expenses from Trump’s 2019 visit, deeming the costs necessary to ensure citizen safety. Similarly, Nassau County, after a rally in Long Island, faced $1 million in police overtime costs but did not pursue reimbursement.

Efforts to collect unpaid bills have been largely unsuccessful. Green Bay, Wisconsin, has yet to receive over $33,000 in public safety costs from a recent rally, with additional unpaid bills from campaigns dating back to 2016. Erie, Pennsylvania, is also attempting to recover $63,190 from a Trump event in September, with prior unpaid bills totaling over $35,000.

In contrast, Tucson, Arizona, has taken a proactive approach by requiring upfront payment for public safety costs in advance of Trump's visits. This strategy ensured the campaign paid over $145,000 for a rally in September.

Even smaller towns, like Eau Claire, Wisconsin, have faced budget challenges due to unpaid bills from campaign events, with Trump's visit in 2016 leaving the town over $47,000 out of pocket.

Albuquerque continues to seek repayment for the 2019 rally expenses. Mayor Keller’s office has sent the bills to Trump's residences and engaged a collection agency to recover the debt, reflecting a broader issue faced by many municipalities dealing with the financial aftermath of political rallies.