Springfield Mayor Ron Rue has spent over a week scrambling to respond to a wave of bomb threats while subtly noting how the tab to keep people safe is growing daily.
“This is costing the city. We’re definitely in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense. We haven’t calculated the overtime, the contracts that need to be secured to be able to secure and communicate… take care of our city,” Rue told CNN’s Boris Sanchez earlier this week.
City officials had already asked for state and federal funding to address the challenges of a growing population – largely driven by the arrival of Haitian immigrants. Then, the small Midwestern city was thrust into the national spotlight, as Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance amplified debunked conspiracy theories claiming Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating pet cats and dogs.
The false claims triggered a weeklong string of bomb threats. They have shut down schools, government offices and grocery stores. The chaos has put more law enforcement on the streets, including tower cameras and state troopers stationed at public schools — all, at a cost to the city that has faced budget shortfalls. In the past decade, the city made significant cuts to its police and fire departments.
Dan Tierney, press secretary for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, told CNN the additional patrol personnel would not likely represent an extra cost, as “those workers would be working and paid even if they were not assigned to Springfield.”
Springfield city officials did not respond to a request for comment about the cost of enhanced security linked to the threats. But Rue issued a proclamation this week granting the city temporary emergency powers “to mitigate public safety concerns.” It includes an expedited process to secure additional security contracts to protect the community, Rue told CNN on Friday.
“This will enable departments to respond more efficiently to emerging risks, including civil unrest, cyber threats, and potential acts of violence,” the proclamation said, noting it will remain in effect “until it is determined that public safety risks have subsided.”
When asked about whether Ohio officials would seek legal action or reimbursement for the costs incurred while responding to the threats, Clark County Commissioner Flax Wilt told reporters on Thursday the full financial fallout will be determined as “we come out of things” but doesn’t believe pursuing litigation would be helpful.
William J. Barber II, a prominent North Carolina civil rights leader and several Ohio faith leaders gathered Sunday to call for an end to lies about the Haitian community.
Barber noted a long history of discrimination against Haitians in the US and said the lies about the Haitian community are used to distract from issues such as poverty and health care.
“You can’t cry fire in a crowded theater. And if you do, and people get hurt, you get charges for that,” Barber said. “What we have is someone doing that. And what that has done is unleashed bomb threats.”
City needed funds to handle migrant surge
Springfield was already struggling to accommodate its growing Haitian population before officials were forced to shift their focus to public safety and keeping businesses open.
The increase in population has put a strain on hospitals, schools and police, particularly due to a language barrier, Rue told CNN. In a recent city commission meeting, Rue said spent months requesting state and federal support to pay for the high cost of translation services. The mayor told CNN a portion of $2.5 million in state funds recently announced by Gov. DeWine to help Springfield will be allocated to that. The funding was approved to help expand primary care access for Springfield residents, according to DeWine’s office.
Another challenge has been inexperienced drivers and reducing reckless driving, which DeWine has linked to Haitian immigrants. Last year, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office hosted driver education courses in Haitian Creole. And state officials say more seminars will be planned for this year.
But the city’s attention was not solely on immigration issues.
The city commission recently discussed the construction of a new fire station, new roadway names, and heard an update on the cleanup of a former industrial waste landfill near Springfield. In a September 10 meeting, city manager Bryan Heck echoed public comments on the need for more housing, explaining how the supply is low compared with the demand for all types of housing.
Policing was already a priority for Springfield officials, who intend to grow the 120-officer police force. Heck said in an August 27 meeting the police department was “actively trying to hire,” but it was struggling to recruit officers, much like other US cities have experienced in recent years.
Rue has said he hopes people would pay more attention to what Springfield has to offer.
Springfield had been a manufacturing hub in the 1980s and 1990s until many jobs dwindled, leading to a serious economic decline, DeWine wrote in an op-ed published Friday in The New York Times.
He said the “dramatic influx” of Haitian migrants has brought a resurgence in manufacturing and job creation because they have filled jobs.
“They are there legally. They are there to work,” the governor said.
Trump visit could bring ‘extreme’ financial strain, mayor says
Rue has publicly discouraged presidential candidates from visiting the city, saying a potential visit would put an “extreme strain” on the city’s financial resources.
“I think it’s going to be an extreme strain in our infrastructure,” Rue told CNN Thursday. Rue’s comments come after Trump said Wednesday he would visit Springfield “in the next two weeks.”
“If he chose to change his mind to maybe reroute from coming to Springfield that would be a huge message of peace to Springfield as I see it,” the mayor added.
In the past week, Rue said in multiple interviews that a visit from either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris would be difficult for the city.
At an event hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists, Harris said of the situation in Springfield: “It’s a crying shame — I mean, my heart breaks for this community.” Her campaign has not discussed whether Harris plans to visit Springfield.
Campaign rallies can have a financial impact on local government, as cities often dispatch police officers to secure the events.
In July, for example, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich said presidential campaigns owed more than $50,000 to the city for police, fire, public works and traffic services during events this year and in 2016.
“Green Bay residents are frugal people who pay their bills, and they expect presidential candidates to do the same,” Genrich said in a July statement. “It is a matter of fairness and fiscal responsibility — our residents should not bear the burden of these expenses.”
CNN’s Brammhi Balarajan contributed to this report.