Michael Jackson's grand public memorial cost the city of Los Angeles a whopping USD 1.4 million, the mayor's office said.
The bill for the star studded ceremony was footed by the city and included the costs for putting extra police on the streets, trash pickup, sanitation, traffic control and more, said spokesperson Sarah Hamilton.
The city which is already USD 530 million in debt has asked for donations from it's residents and Jackson fans around the globe to help with the expenses.
A website had been set up for the purpose and on Tuesday donors contributed more than USD 17,000 through the site. But then, the high volume of traffic caused it to crash frequently and for long periods of time, the mayor's office said.
The Tuesday event held at the Staples Centre was viewed by more than a billion people around the globe and 3,000 police officers, about one-third of the total Los Angeles Police Department force, were deployed to ensure the maintenance of law and order.
The decision by the city authorities to sponsor the event has irked many, including Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich who does not want taxpayers to pay a penny for the service, CNN reported.
