South Florida ports find security costs overwhelming

Security costs at Port Everglades are expected to increase from U.S.$8.8 million last year to as much as $15 million this year, in addition to $40 million in ongoing construction to protect the port.

Meanwhile, businesses in the area are challenging the costs, saying they cannot continue to bear most of the burden. They want taxpayers or federal and state agencies to pick up more of the expenses if they can’t be cut back, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Port Everglades is one of the U.S.’s busiest cruise ports and the entry point for all of South Florida’s petroleum. It is considered particularly vulnerable because major highways, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and downtown Fort Lauderdale are all located near its docks and oil tanks.

While the county has received U.S. $9.4 million in grants to pay for the work, much of the cost has been paid through the tariff charges paid by port businesses. Those fees increased 5 % last year over the objections of the business association. The latest estimate of U.S. $15 million for security costs this year will mean more than 19 percent of the port’s operating budget will pay for security.