Philly Taxpayers Picking Up Tab For About Half The Cost Of Pope's Visit
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It turns out that Philadelphia taxpayers are picking up the tab for about half of the city's cost of the Pope's visit.
The Nutter administration promised that the World Meeting of Families would reimburse the city for its costs during the papal visit.
That's the way City Council President Darrell Clarke remembers it.
"We kind of heard what you all heard at the same time that you heard it -- that there was not going to be any cost incurred by the city of Philadelphia."
But the city is actually paying about $8 million worth. At a logistical meeting for the Democratic National Convention, Mayor Nutter told reporters the deal all along was for the World Meeting to cover the costs only on the two days the Pope was here.
"Pope Francis was in town Saturday and Sunday. And those are the costs that we attributed to the World Meeting of Families. That's the
invoice that they got."
That was for about $9 million. Clarke says the city spent the money, so the bills have to be paid.
