The emotional tug of war over whether Elian Gonzalez should live in Miami or Cuba has cost the public $1 million, and
 the tab will get bigger, officials said Monday.

 Miami taxpayers are bearing the largest burden because city police have been responsible for maintaining order in the Little Havana neighborhood where Elian lives with his relatives. Extra deployment of Miami Police -- the city's biggest
 single expense -- reached $807,000 in overtime and compensatory time as of April 8, said Lt. William Schwartz, the department's spokesman. The money comes from the department's $6.7 million overtime budget.

 The department's costs are rising rapidly. Forthe last three weeks, Miami police have had about 16 officers outside of the Little Havana home on overtime for 18 hours of the day, and eight officers on overtime for the midnight-to-6 a.m. shift, said Schwartz.

 For about six days of the last two weeks, he added, the police department also
 has had a special force of about 50 officers in reserve near the home in case
 disturbances broke out.

 Schwartz said the police department would seek federal reimbursement for its
 costs, but noted ``there's no guarantee we'll get it.''

 The Miami Fire Department has spent $8,000 thus far, and its costs, too, are
 increasing rapidly. The department since Saturday has stationed a fire rescue unit
 that costs $100 per hour near the home of Elian's great-uncle Lazaro Gonzalez,
 said Fire Chief Carlos Gimenez. The money is coming from the department's
 $350,000 overtime budget.

 ``We'll be out there until this thing subsides,'' said Gimenez. ``We have to prepare
 for any eventuality.''

 Other public entities -- including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the
 Florida Highway Patrol and the Miami Beach Police Department -- have incurred
 almost $193,000 in costs from the Elian case since the beginning of the year.

 Included in the state's expenses were $55,000 in revenue lost in early January
 when Gov. Jeb Bush lifted the tolls in Miami-Dade and South Broward for four
 hours after a federal ruling prompted demonstrations by those opposed to
 6-year-old Elian being taken from his great-uncle's home.

 No costs were available Monday for Miami-Dade County -- mainly for police and
 corrections -- or the federal government.

 FEDS BLAMED

 Miami Mayor Joe Carollo blamed the federal government for the $1 million tab.

 ``This is not our doing,'' said Carollo. ``This is the doing of federal policies. All
 we're doing is what local law enforcement has to do.''

 The biggest costs lately came last week when Attorney General Janet Reno flew
 to Miami to meet with Lazaro Gonzalez in Miami Beach. Many thought federal
 officials would try to take Elian from his home the next day, which prompted a
 beefed-up law enforcement presence.

 The highway patrol put its local troop on Alpha Bravo alert that next day, meaning
 half the force was on and half was off. That cost $20,000, said Maj. Ken Howes, a
 patrol spokesman. (In January, on the same day the tolls were lifted, the highway
 patrol spent $60,000, mostly in extra salaries.)

 MIAMI BEACH EXPENSES

 Miami Beach Police kept protesters and the media at bay outside of the home of
 Barry University President Sister Jeanne Laughlin while Reno met with Lazaro
 Gonzalez and his representatives. The department's overtime bill thus far is
 $1,700, as only the initial claims have been filed, said John Babcock, the police
 department's record keeper.

 Babcock said that when Miami Beach police were deployed outside Sister
 Jeanne's home when Elian met with his grandmothers in January, the bill was
 $27,000.

 The FDLE has spent $25,000 in redeploying its officers to handle Elian matters,
 said Al Dennis, an agency spokesman.

 Trips by Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and Miami Mayor Joe Carollo to
 Washington, D.C., to meet with Reno in January and again this month will cost
 taxpayers about $4,000.

 Penelas' spokesman, Juan Mendieta, said Penelas got phone calls from
 constituents questioning the use of public funds after each trip.

 Mendieta said Penelas wanted to meet with Reno personally on the latest trip
 because Delfin Gonzalez, Lazaro's brother, was supposed to accompany the
 mayors but was unable to at the last minute.

 Mendieta also noted that Penelas on the trip met with a federal transportation
 official, a senator and U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, on county transportation
 issues.