While Gov. Tony Evers had announced on June 18 that Green Bay, Brown County, and Ashwaubenon would get $1.8 million in state grant money to cover public safety costs associated with the 2025 NFL Draft, it was still up to the Green Bay City Council to formally accept the money.

The council members unanimously voted to do so on June 24 with no discussion.

Here’s where that money will go and what happens next.

Where’s the money going?

A memo written by Mayor Eric Genrich and the city’s Chief of Operations Joe Faulds outlines the allocation of the $1.8 million:

Brown County: $681,109.50

The three governments racked up NFL draft expenses totaling $2.66 million, according to Faulds.

The city had submitted an application to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation requesting funds from the Opportunity Attraction Fund Program created in Wisconsin’s 2023-2025 budget meant to support large-scale events.

The grant application requested all of that $2.66 million be reimbursed, Faulds said, but the state ultimately agreed to pay just the line items associated with security costs, which amounted to $1.8 million.

Green Bay accepts the grant, but when does it get the money?

Funds are expected to be disbursed this fiscal year, the memo said.

A 14-page agreement between the WEDC and Green Bay went into further detail, outlining a performance report due by Oct. 1 that that will show a financial overview and narrative summary on the draft’s outcome and expenditures, including showing that the it was in fact hosted, that there were 600,000 individuals served, that $378,771 had been put into capital investments for the draft, and that the three governments had spent a combined $2.66 million.

The agreement stipulates that a copy of the NFL Draft Economic Impact report must be submitted to the WEDC by July 31.

Green Bay is requesting all of the $1.8 million no later than Sept. 30, according to the agreement.

Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeastern Wisconsin. Contact him at 920-834-4250 or jlin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: NFL draft grant to Green Bay Brown County Ashwaubenon accepted