Taxpayers will end up paying close to $19,000 to cover the cost of the late Rob Ford lying in repose at city hall for two days last week.
Thousands of Torontonians visited city hall on Monday and Tuesday to pay their final respects to the former Ward 2 councillor and mayor and sign a book of condolence.
According to City of Toronto spokesperson Jackie DeSouza, the visitation cost $18,676 and will be paid for “out of existing budgets.”
The total cost breakdown is as follows:
- $11,539 for security (increased staffing, the use of some contract staff and overtime costs)
- $4,441 in overtime costs for staff from the city clerk’s office and facilities management
- $1,226 for refreshments
- $1,500 for an honour guard
Mayor John Tory and city staff agreed to allow Ford to lie in repose at city hall at the request of his family.
During the visitation, Ford’s casket was placed in the rotunda of city hall with a ceremonial police honour guard standing beside it.
A procession was then held on Wednesday to take Ford’s casket from city hall to St. James Cathedral. The costs of that procession have not yet been released.
