WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Counties across New York are bracing for major changes in how the federal government funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Counties will now have to cover three-fourths of the cost, rather than half.
More than 14,000 Jefferson County residents pay with food stamps at grocery stores.
“Administering that program is a pretty heavy lift,” said Ryan Piche, Jefferson County administrator.
Jefferson County impact
The county is expecting to spend an extra $300,000 every quarter on SNAP.
“We already have budgeted $300,000 for 2026,” Piche said. “For 2027, that means we have to account for well over a million dollars.”
Other counties affected
According to the New York State Association of Counties, St. Lawrence County will see a nearly $800,000 increase in costs. Lewis County will see more than $300,000 for its roughly 2,500 recipients.
“$300,000 doesn’t sound like a lot, but in our world, that’s three employees. So it’s significant,” said Tim Hunt, Lewis County manager.
The costs come on top of additional labor needed to enforce stricter guidelines on who is eligible. That began in March.
“Our labor is going up, and our reimbursement is going down,” Hunt said.
Statewide cost shift
Statewide, the changes, part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed last summer, will shift $168 million in costs to counties.
New York is one of 10 states in the country where counties themselves implement SNAP, not the state.
“Some of these cuts in Washington, they sound good, but really they’re just cost shifts, and this is the most perfect example,” Piche said. “It’s just purely a cost shift from the federal government to the local government.”
The shift in cost is scheduled to begin Oct. 1.
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