It cost $500,000 for the Chicago Police Board's search for a new police superintendent, according to reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Thirty-nine candidates applied for the position to replace former Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, and the police board selected three of those individuals as top-cop finalists last month. But Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel rejected all three finalists and put forward his own pick, Chicago Police Department veteran Eddie Johnson, to become interim superintendent.  

The police board's $500,000 tab includes things such as travel for candidates who were not from Chicago and background checks. 

Now that Emanuel has picked a interim police superintendent, the Chicago City Council could change the rules allowing Johnson to become the permanent top cop without having another search conducted by the police board. Another option is for the police board to launch another search, but some observers have expressed doubt that many other candidates would apply in light of Emanuel picking Johnson as interim superintendent.

"It will have an enormous impact on anyone else applying. It's over. It's done,"  Police Executive Research Forum Executive Director Chuck Wexler recently told the newspaper. "Why would any other candidate put himself in that position. It makes no sense. They're going through the motions because it's clear who the mayor wants."