Mitt Romney, Salt Lake Organizing Committee president, will be in Washington Monday to lobby the U.S. Congress for a final $12.7 million needed for Olympic security.
Much of the money would reimburse Utah law enforcement agencies for paying overtime to officers covering the shifts of other colleagues who will staff the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command for the 2002 Winter Games.
Safety command spokeswoman Tammy Palmer said, “we definitely have to have it. We’re cautiously optimistic about getting the money.”
The rest of the command’s $30 million operating budget comes from Utah sales tax revenue on Olympic tickets.
Romney said he wants to impress upon Utah’s delegation and other key members of Congress how crucial funding is for the final portion of a $200 million security plan overseen by the U.S. Secret Service.
Romney said, “I have to get the message out that these are legitimate needs”.
Any compromise awarding Salt Lake less than $12.7 million “would be a problem” because it would cut into the organizing committee’s budget reserve for the $1.3 billion Games, he said.
