Security is a certainty at the Republican convention in Dallas. Who will pay for it still isn’t clear.

The city of Dallas now estimates municipal costs tied to the Republican Midterm Convention this week will exceed $2 million, with the prospect of reimbursement from convention organizers or the federal government still in doubt.

A memo from the city’s chief of public safety Friday said the latest cost estimate for the convention from Dallas police and fire personnel, as well as the city’s emergency management and public works departments is $2,054,985.30 — with the bulk of the costs from the Dallas Police Department. 

“Portions of the anticipated costs reflect personnel and resources already supported within departmental budgets, while incremental expenses, including eligible overtime, equipment, and event-specific operational costs, will be separately identified and documented,” Chief Dominique Artis wrote. 

The city said it would seek reimbursement — but has not yet identified any external funding source to bring to City Council for approval. At a press conference on Aug. 27, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said Dallas would “pursue all eligible funding sources to help offset the cost.” 

“Our responsibility is to protect Dallas and that responsibility will remain the same throughout this event,” Tolbert added. 

At the same news conference, Convention CEO John Hiller said organizers have been meeting with law enforcement partners. 

“We’re willing to cooperate in some way to mitigate those expenses,” he said. “We haven’t finalized any plan on that, but we’re working with them and looking at funding from other sources.”

The last time the GOP had its convention in Dallas in 1984, city taxpayers picked up a $1.5 million tab, the Dallas Morning News reported at the time. 

Some Council members expressed concern of a repeat on the taxpayer dime. Others said concerns of a security issue outweigh the costs. 

“We have had a president assassinated in Dallas before,” Council Member Cara Mendelsohn told the city’s director of emergency management at a committee meeting last month. “I want you to do everything possible to keep everybody, absolutely everybody, from the president to the protesters safe.”