Two weeks ago, Barack Obama stopped in Newport News, attracting about 18,000 people to downtown, packing Victory Landing Park and infusing a depressed neighborhood with excitement not often seen there.

The Oct. 4 event - for which the city had only two days to prepare - was a logistical challenge. "It was a big deal," said Neil Morgan, an assistant city manager who oversees the city's public safety departments. "It consumed a lot of time and energy for a brief time. And it went really smoothly."

But once all the hustle and bustle settled and the last campaign signs and buttons were swept out of the park, the event came with a $20,000 to $30,000 price tag for Newport News for additional security for Obama, most of it for overtime for the city's public safety employees such as police officers. [....]

The Obama campaign reimbursed the city for $4,693 worth of bottled drinking water for the crowd. That surprised at least one council member. "I am just looking for money," Councilwoman Madeline McMillan said.

Meanwhile, in nearby Virginia Beach, the McCain campaign actually made money for the city by renting out the entire convention center, at a cost of around $20,000.