NASHUA — Seven months after city taxpayers paid thousands of dollars in police overtime costs for a March visit by President Barack Obama, the mayor said the President's return visit on Saturday — possibly to Greeley Park — will be billed to the Obama campaign.

“Our policy is that we bill for campaign events,” Mayor Donnalee Lozeau said on Tuesday. “But we are honored to have the President here whether he is President or running for President.”

Lozeau said it is the city's and the state's responsibility to show how much value is placed the first-in-the-nation primary status, explaining Nashua wants to be as accommodating as possible to presidential candidates without the extra burden to local taxpayers.

The commander-in-chief was last in Nashua on a snowy March 1 when he visited Nashua Community College. At the time, the city footed a bill for nearly $9,000 in police overtime costs to cover the event.

Lozeau explained that for the March event, the arrangements were made through the White House as an official presidential visit to the state — not a campaign visit, which is why the city paid the bill.

Last month, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was in Nashua for a campaign rally at Holman Stadium. His campaign paid a $2,000 fee to use the facility, according to city officials.

This will be Obama's second visit to New Hampshire in 10 days. Last Thursday, he made a speech at Veterans Park in Manchester. Officials there asked the Obama campaign to pay for the costs of that event.

Saturday's event will mark the President's sixth visit to New Hampshire this year.

“We take his visits very seriously, and we want to make sure there are no issues,” said Police Chief John Seusing, explaining that Capt. Bruce Hansen is in charge of security for the event and has been working closely with Secret Service representatives.

Tuesday night, the Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to temporarily allow an amplified sound system to be used at the Greeley Park band shell this weekend if the Obama campaign opts to use that location for its event.

Lozeau said Stellos Stadium and Holman Stadium are occupied on Saturday, but that several other city venues are being considered, including Greeley Park.

There have been many meetings since the initial call notifying city police of Obama's visit Saturday, said Seusing, who did not provide specific information on the exact location of the President's event.

“There is a lot of coordination that goes into it. There is a lot involved,” he said. “We try to utilize as many people as we can.”

While some on-duty police officers will be assigned security detail for the event, Seusing said the majority of officers will be working overtime. He would not estimate how many overtime hours will be necessary, or how many police officers will be assigned to the political event in conjunction with Secret Service members.

“Our goal is to make sure that he arrives safely in the city, that he has a safe visit and that he exits safely,” Seusing said of the President. The amount of city police work depends on how many side streets must be closed, whether the highway will need to be shut down and the overall length of Obama's visit, he said.

During Obama's March visit to Nashua while addressing a crowd of about 1,000 people, Obama called for Congress to eliminate oil and gas company subsidies. He talked about the economy, the nation's dependence on foreign oil and skyrocketing gasoline prices during his previous visit.

Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will also be in New Hampshire this week, although details of her visit on Friday have not yet been released.

With all of the focus on the Democratic campaign, Wayne MacDonald, New HampshireH Republican State Committee chairman, said Tuesday that he expects former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney — and possibly his running mate, Paul Ryan — to visit the Granite State before Election Day on Nov. 6.

“I think they would be well-received,” MacDonald said.

In response to Obama's second visit to New Hampshire in less than two weeks, MacDonald said it shows Obama's need to gain more support here and proves the overwhelming backing that Romney already has in this swing state.

Dave Tencza, chairman of the Nashua Democratic Committee, countered Tuesday that Obama's latest trip north shows just how important New Hampshire and the City of Nashua is in his strategy to win the election.

“Everyone expects it to be a close election, and that is why President Obama has been building up his grassroots efforts so effectively,” said Tencza.

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Kimberly Houghton may be reached at khoughton@newstote.com.