The City Commission decided Thursday it will not charge UF for the more than $224,000 in public security costs for the Richard Spencer event on campus.
A report, presented to the commission in a General Policy meeting Thursday, outlined both city and county costs incurred from the October event. The City of Gainesville spent $224,105 on overtime pay, meals, travel and supplies, according to the report.
The commission decided not to ask UF for reimbursement, although they may send a letter to the university detailing a breakdown of the cost, city spokesperson Chip Skinner said.
UF has not disclosed its own expenses, although they were estimated to be more than $500,000, according to an earlier UF statement.
UF declined to comment on the city’s decision to foot the bill.
Alachua County sent an itemized invoice for $302,184 more than two weeks ago for the cost of public safety resources provided for Spencer’s event on campus in October, according to Alligator archives.
City Commissioner Helen Warren felt the costs the city paid were fair, and UF shouldn’t be punished for bad luck. Warren believes providing services without the expectation of reimbursement helps maintain a strong partnership between the city and UF.
“I just feel that we are doing so much as a city to improve the town and gown relationship that this was one of those exercises,” she said.
Contact Jessica Giles at jgiles@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @jessica_giles_.
Richard Spencer
