A Los Angeles city councilman is calling on AEG Live to pay some of the estimated $1.4 million cost for Michael Jackson's memorial service Tuesday at the Staples Center.
Dennis Zine told Fox 11 on Thursday that the city's taxpayers "are getting ripped off" because the owner-operator of the Staples Center profited by charging media up to $50,000 to use risers outside the venue.
AEG President Tim Leiweke has said Zine was out of line for asking AEG to pay because it helped solicit donors for the Los Angeles Lakers victory parade last month.
The parade and memorial both resulted in extraordinary costs at a time when the city is in debt for half of a billion dollars and facing employee layoffs.
The Lakers parade cost an estimated $2 million.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles spent $1.4 million to provide security, traffic control and other services for Michael Jackson's memorial service, city officials said as they looked for ways to have others help the financially troubled city pick up the bill.
The amount included $1.1 million in overtime pay for the 4,173 officers who worked to secure Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery and other areas that attracted fans and members of the media, the Police Department said in a statement.
City officials said Wednesday that the remaining amount covered traffic control, cleanup and other costs related to Tuesday's public memorial service, which was attended by a total of more than 17,000 fans and watched by tens of millions of people around the world.
Matt Szabo, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, hailed the tally a success. He said it was "far less" than the initial estimate of $4 million.
Nonetheless, city attorney Carmen Trutanich said his office was investigating how the city can legally press third parties to pick up at least some of the tab.
