POLL: Should Obama for America Pay Westport’s Overtime Fees?

After President Obama reportedly earned $2 million at a to First Selectman Gordon Joseloff request regarding reimbursement to the town for its overtime costs.

The for reimbursement on Monday.

The Town of  for police and fire services during

Families were turned away from throughout the day as both beaches were closed due to the presidential visit.

President Obama flew in on to and later attended a fundraiser at film producer Harvey Weinstein’s ocean-front mansion, which is adjacent to Burying Hill Beach. Admission was $35,800 a person for the lavish dinner at the 8,900 square-foot Beachside Avenue home.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Interested in Westport's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Westport Patch daily newsletter, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Westport police incurred $12,460 in overtime costs for the visit. This does not include overtime costs incurred by departments assisting Westport, which included Wilton, Trumbull, Easton, Monroe, and Fairfield as well as the State Police. Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury reported $2,352 in overtime costs

Joseloff said he would seek reimbursement from the Obama campaign as well as the Democratic National Committee, which denied his request Monday. He said he would also send a copy of the request to Weinstein.

Joseloff said he has not received a response from Obama for America or Weinstein.

“I didn’t expect that we would get repayment, but it was worthwhile to ask,” he said in a news release Monday.

Westport had made previous attempts to recover similar costs without success when President Clinton visited three times in 1998-99 for fundraising events.