This is a follow up to a previous article I wrote about the exorbitant amount of money that Virginia was spending to accommodate the large crowds. The final total that Virginia spent on the Inauguration was $7 million dollars.

In a budget crisis, Governor Kaine should be limiting state spending. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Commonwealth reported their spending tab to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. However, when you look at the total breakdown, some of the totals may seem a tad excessive.

On the other side of the balance sheet, the state’s largest expenditure was by the Virginia Department of Transportation, which accounted for $3.9 million — some $2.5 million of which was spent on snow and ice removal on roads to speed traffic to Washington.

Just under $800,000 was spent on additional law enforcement provided by the Virginia State Police and $500,000 to provide free buses to shuttle inaugural attendees to rapid and mass transit.

State expenditures by locality were highest in the Washington suburbs: Arlington County ($370,548); Alexandria ($273,400); and Fairfax County ($602,000).

Hickey said Virginia has submitted its inaugural bill of $7,081,991.45 to the Department of Homeland Security.

“We fully expect to be reimbursed,” he said.

The process of getting reimbursed by the Federal government will take a while, so what will the Commonwealth of Virginia have to do to compensate for the $7 million expenditure? The Commonwealth is already in a budget shortfall, so no doubt, there might be a tax hike for Northern Virginia to foot the burden. Just another example of wasteful spending under Tim Kaine’s watch.

**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon