Trump Vacation Costs: Mar-A-Lago Trips A Major ‘Financial Burden’ On Florida District, Democrats Say

President Donald Trump’s weekend visits to his Florida estate have been a source of great “financial burden” on the local government, Florida Democrats say, urging the president to pay for the spike in expenditure or cut down on his trips to Mar-a-Lago, his exclusive Palm Beach resort.

The estate falls under the congressional district of Rep. Lois Frankel, who wrote a letter to the president, listing the massive increase in expenditure that the Palm Beach County had to suffer to provide for Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago. The letter was co-signed by Florida Reps. Alcee Hastings and Ted Deutch, both Democrats.

Read: President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Visits May Force Florida County To Increase Taxes

“While we want the fullest protection for your visits, we hope you would be responsive to the losses of small businesses and residents of Palm Beach County,” Frankel wrote. “If compensation is not assured of being forthcoming, we respectfully ask that you curtail your visits until such time as that matter is resolved favorably to our area.”

Trump has taken weekend trips to Mar-a-Lago five times in the two months he has been in office. According to Frankel, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department and Fire Rescue have spent over $1.7 million in overtime costs, a figure that is expected to jump to $5.8 million by the end of 2017. An additional $60,000 was spent by the city on overtime for law enforcement responsible for handling Trump-related protests.

Frankel also wrote that the company that manages the city’s Lantana Airport has reportedly lost $170,000 over flight restrictions during Trump’s visits. The collective loss reported by other companies at the airport was pegged at about $720,000.

In addition to this, she wrote that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Mar-a-Lago will cost the sheriff and fire departments around $280,000.

“We write to ask your assistance in alleviating the financial burden being shouldered by Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County businesses as a result of your repeated visits to your Mar-A-Lago estate,” the letter said.

Trump’s visits to his Florida estate have been the subject of much criticism directed toward him. Critics say that his vacations are an increasing burden on the taxpayer, while some cite the possible security dimensions of the trips, calling them a “security nightmare.”

Democrats are also pushing for a MAR-A-LAGO Act — short for “Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness Act” — which will require the Trump administration to release the names of any person who visits the White House or “any other location at which the President or the Vice President regularly conducts official business,” a direct dig at his Mar-a-Lago trips.